Year: 2009 Source: Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, v.39, no.4, (August 2009), p.452-459 SIEC No: 20090878

The aim of this study was to estimate how suicide rates in the United States are affected by changes in per capita alcohol consumption during the postwar period. The analysis included annual suicide rates & per capital alcohol consumption data (total & beverage specific) for 1950-2002. Gender- & age-specific models were estimated using the Box-Jenkins technique for time series analysis. No significant estimate was found for males. For females the total alcohol estimate was significant at the 10% level whereas the spirits estimate was significant with an effect of 0.152. The results imply a change in the American per capita consumption would result in a change in female suicide rates but not the male rates. (32 refs.)