Characteristics of substance use and self-injury among American Indian adolescents who have engaged in binge drinking

Binge drinking appears to be a risk factor, facilitator, and method of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury for some American Indian (AI) youth. We examined characteristics, patterns, and motivations for binge use among AI adolescents (N = 69; 10-19 years-old) who recently engaged in binge drinking. The majority used alcohol alone (53.7%) or a combination of alcohol and marijuana (31.3%) for their binge event. Gender differences emerged with boys more severely affected than girls. Forty-seven percent reported lifetime suicidal thoughts. This study represents one of the first in-depth examinations of substance use and related behaviors among AI adolescents who have engaged in recent binge use.