Alcohol and suicide in Alaska Natives

A retrospective review of hospital records from the Alaska Native Medical Center, controlled for age, sex, and race, is presented for 33 Alaska Native suicide completers who died between 1980 and 1984. Suicide rates for Alaska Natives were twice the national average during the study period. The only significant differences between the suicide and control groups was the history of a prior suicide attempt (p 0.003). Alcohol abuse was diagnosed more often than any other psychiatric disorder in the suicide group and appears to be the most important antecedent of suicide in this study.