How alcohol problems raise the risk of suicidal behavior
The Etiology of Risk: Alcohol Use Disorder and Suicidal Behavior
Researchers are using long-term national health and social records to find how alcohol problems, trauma, and depression contribute to suicide attempts and deaths among people affected by alcohol use disorder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194335 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, this project looks through decades of linked Swedish records — medical, criminal, family, and social data for millions of people — to trace patterns that connect alcohol problems with suicidal behavior. The team will use modern statistical and causal-inference methods to see whether PTSD, trauma exposure, or social difficulties act as pathways (mediators) or modifiers of that risk. They will directly compare routes to suicidal behavior coming from alcohol use disorder versus major depression, with special attention to social dysfunction. The goal is to pinpoint factors that could improve how clinicians recognize and support people at higher risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with a diagnosis of alcohol use disorder or histories of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, major depression, or trauma exposure as captured in Swedish national records would be the focus of this work.
Not a fit: People without alcohol-related problems, those who are not represented in Swedish registries, or anyone seeking immediate changes in their personal treatment plan are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians better identify people with alcohol problems who are at highest risk of suicide and guide targeted prevention or referral strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Large population-register studies have previously linked alcohol problems to suicide, and this team’s prior funded work plus new causal-methods comparisons with depression builds on that existing evidence.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Edwards, Alexis C — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Edwards, Alexis C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.