Neighborhood Access to Alcohol Might be Linked to A Raised Risk of Suicide Attempts

Living in a neighborhood with bars or government-run alcohol outlets may increase suicidal behavior among young adults, especially men and those with elevated genetic liability for attempting suicide, a new study suggests. The paper, in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, is the latest attempt to clarify the link between alcohol accessibility and suicidal behavior. This complex relationship is proving difficult to unravel. Both acute drinking and alcohol use disorder are associated with increased suicide risk, potentially because of behavioral inhibition, depressed mood, or aggression. The link between heavy drinking and suicidal behavior likely reflects, in part, genetic and environmental influences, including the proximity of alcohol outlets. Research has been inconclusive, however. For the new study, drawing on the experiences of hundreds of thousands of individuals in Sweden, investigators explored the association between neighborhood alcohol outlets and suicide attempts and

More Young Adults Are Thinking About Suicide and Death, National Survey Finds

More than one-third of young adults in the United States report having thoughts of death and suicide, while nearly half show at least moderate symptoms of depression, according to a nationwide survey led by researchers from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Harvard Medical School, Northeastern, Harvard and Northwestern universities.

Rutgers Scholar Available to Discuss Concerning Trends of Suicidal Behavior Before and During COVID-19

Rutgers psychologist Edward Selby is available to comment on the need for greater awareness and prevention of suicidal behavior during COVID-19 pandemic. “Suicidal behavior has been escalating in the United States over the last 20 years, and we saw a…