Motives for alcohol use across the 24 hours prior to a suicide attempt

Acute alcohol use is a risk factor for suicidal behavior. This study examined sources of variance (between-person, within-person) in hour-to-hour self-reported alcohol consumption and drinking motives and assessed the interrelations of different motives for alcohol use across the 24 hr preceding a suicide attempt.

This multisite study utilized interview data obtained retrospectively from adult patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt. The current analysis examined participants (n = 110) who reported using alcohol within 24 hr of the attempt (M_age = 39.59; 48.2% female, 72.7% White; 4.5% Hispanic/Latinx). Participants reported suicide-facilitative drinking motives using three items from the Suicide Facilitative Drinking Motives Scale and reported typical, nonfacilitative motives using three items from the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling.

Most variance in reported drinking motives occurred between participants, though there was substantial within-person variability. Within-person increases in alcohol use were associated with suicide-facilitative motives for alcohol use, but not nonfacilitative motives. Social and enhancement motives were consistently negatively associated with facilitative motives, while coping motives were positively associated with reported drinking to reduce fear regarding suicide.

Results suggest the assessment of motives for alcohol use in at-risk patients may provide key clinical targets (i.e., the function of drinking) for preventing suicidal behavior. When alcohol is consumed for coping motives or used to facilitate suicidal behavior, it is particularly concerning and warrants clinical intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).