The associations between early alcohol use and suicide attempts among adolescents with a history of major depression

ObjectivePrevious studies have identified significant associations between alcohol initiation before the age of 13 years and risk for suicide attempts. However, these associations have not been extensively tested using data obtained from populations with clinically significant psychopathology. The current study seeks to extend knowledge of the associations between early alcohol initiation and risk for suicide by identifying the associations between age of first alcohol use and suicide attempts among a sample of youth age 13 to 15 years with a history of major depression.MethodologyData were obtained from the National Study of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a household-based survey of U.S. adolescents and adults age 12 years and older.ResultsResults from these analyses confirm previous reports of significant associations between age of first alcohol use and suicide attempts and extend previous understanding of risk by using data obtained from a household-based survey and from adolescents with clinically relevant psychopathology.ConclusionsThese findings provide further support for the implementation, enforcement, and continued support of both targeted and universal prevention strategies designed to reduce underage drinking.

Research Highlights
► In this study we identify associations between alcohol use and suicide attempts.
► Analyses used data from a nationally-representative sample of adolescents.
► Findings are consistent with analyses of data obtained from school-based samples.
► Early alcohol use is associated with an increased risk for suicide attempt.