SUICIDE AND ALCOHOLISM - DISTINGUISHING ALCOHOLIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT COMORBID DRUG-ABUSE

Psychological autopsy data were used to test the hypothesis that alcoh olic patients with comorbid drug use disorders who committed suicide ( A + D; n = 26) are distinguishable from alcoholic suicide victims with out a comorbid drug use disorder (A; n = 35). Dependent variables incl uded demographics, suicidal behavior Psychiatric symptoms, and medical illness burden. The A group were older white, and tended to be living alone. Analyses that controlled for age and sex indicated that As wer e more likely to have had a comorbid major depression and less likely to tell someone they were contemplating suicide. Scores on a measure o f illness burden increased with age among the A group but not the A D group, though the latter were more likely to be under a physician's care with increasing age. These differences should be considered when designing preventive measures.