Research & Resources

Alcohol has long been known to be associated with suicide; however, this relationship is not fully understood. In this study, researchers identified three possible factors in both—problem-solving skills, avoidant coping, and negative urgency—which had been thought to be part of the association. They then tested their models with data using a sample of college-age drinkers with a history of suicidal ideation. Their results show that all three factors were either directly or indirectly related to the level of suicidal ideation, as well as their alcohol-related indicators such as frequency of binge drinking. These findings provide targets for prevention professionals working with this population to impact multiple public health problems. The article, “Factors linking suicidal ideation with drinking to cope and alcohol problems in emerging adult college drinkers,” was published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology and funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.