Risk factors for suicidal behavior among alcoholics: Factors associated with a history of ideation vs. a history of parasuicide

Four risk factors for parasuicide and suicide ideation in 197 male and female alcoholism inpatients were investigated: addiction severity, family addiction history, psychiatric symptomatology, and inadequate social support. Risk factors for suicide ideation were psychiatric symptom severity and social dysfunction; those for parasuicide were younger alcohol problem onset, more alcoholism symptoms, greater social dysfunction, and greater psychiatric symptom severity. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the independent effects of risk factors on both suicide ideation and parasuicide. The most efficient model for parasuicide prediction consisted of psychiatric severity, controlling for gender; the most efficient model for ideation was psychiatric severity.