Risk factors for suicide attempts among low-income women with a history ofalcohol problems

This study used bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine nine risk fa ctors for suicide attempts among 80 women (51 attempters, 29 controls) with a history of alcohol problems who were recruited from a large, inner-city hospital. Prior studies established that each of the examined factors incre ased the risk for suicidal behavioral, but these studies have varied accord ing to whether or not they consisted exclusively of persons with alcohol pr oblems. Whereas eight of the nine factors were bivariately associated with suicide attempt status in this study, only three factors (hopelessness, rec ent interpersonal loss, childhood trauma) remained significant in the multi variate analysis. These findings illuminate the importance of using multiva riate analyses when aiming to identify factors that uniquely increase the r isk for suicidal behavior among persons with alcohol problems. (C) 1999 Els evier Science Ltd.