Impulsivity, alcohol linked to suicide

Men with severe depression are more likely to commit suicide if they abuse alcohol and have “cluster B” personality disorder, which relates to impulsive and/or aggressive behavior, new study findings suggest.

“Why some patients with major depressive disorder die by suicide while others with seemingly the same disorder do not, is a question of enormous clinical relevance,” Dr. Gustavo Turecki and colleagues write in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

The researchers compared psychiatric factors among men with major depressive disorder, 104 of whom committed suicide and 74 who are alive. Psychiatric disorders were determined using proxy-based interviews of relatives, friends or significant others. The two groups were similar in terms of age, marital and parental status, education level, race and religion.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 27 Dec 2005
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