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Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the United States: 1991–1992 and 2001–2002

Molecular Psychiatry volume 15, pages 250–259 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of the study is to compare the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in the United States in 1991–1992 and 2001–2002, and identify sociodemographic groups at increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts. Data were drawn from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 1991–1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (n=42 862) and the 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n=43 093), two nationally representative household surveys of non-institutionalized civilians aged 18 years and older, residing in the United States. The lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts remained unchanged in the United States between 1991–1992 and 2001–2002. Specific groups, namely 18- to 24-year-old white and black women, 25- to 44-year-old white women and 45- to 64-year-old Native American men were identified as being at high risk for suicide attempts. Despite prevention and treatment efforts, the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts remains unchanged. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with suicide attempts, urgent action is needed to decrease the prevalence of suicide attempts in the United States.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been financially supported by NIH Grants DA019606, DA020783, DA023200 and MH076051 (Dr Blanco) and AA014223 (Dr Hasin), grants from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Dr Blanco and Dr Oquendo), the New York State Psychiatric Institute (Dr Blanco, Dr Hasin and Dr Oquendo) and the Spanish Ministry of Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERSAM (Dr Baca-Garcia and Dr Perez-Rodriguez). The NESARC was funded by the NIAAA with supplemental support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This research was supported in part by the Intramural Program of the National Institutes of Health, NIAAA. Dr Bridget Grant had full access to all of the data in this study and takes full responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Dr Blanco takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis, and that all authors had full access to all the data in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA

    E Baca-Garcia, M A Oquendo, D S Hasin & C Blanco

  2. Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    E Baca-Garcia, M A Oquendo, D S Hasin & C Blanco

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz Hospital, Autonoma University, Madrid, Spain

    E Baca-Garcia

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain

    M M Perez-Rodriguez

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    M M Perez-Rodriguez

  6. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    K M Keyes

  7. Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    B F Grant

Authors
  1. E Baca-Garcia
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  2. M M Perez-Rodriguez
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  3. K M Keyes
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  4. M A Oquendo
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  5. D S Hasin
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  6. B F Grant
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  7. C Blanco
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B F Grant.

Additional information

The work was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

Disclosure/conflict of interest

Dr Blanco reports support from Pfizer, Somaxon Pharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr Oquendo reports support from Eli Lilly and has served as a consultant to Pfizer. Dr Baca-Garcia, Dr Grant, Dr Hasin, and Dr Perez-Rodriguez and Ms Keyes report no competing interests.

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Baca-Garcia, E., Perez-Rodriguez, M., Keyes, K. et al. Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the United States: 1991–1992 and 2001–2002. Mol Psychiatry 15, 250–259 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2008.98

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Keywords

  • attempted suicide
  • epidemiology
  • prevalence
  • health surveys
  • ethnic groups
  • age groups

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