Alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity as risk factors for suicide proneness among college students

Abstract

BACKGROUND Alcohol use, depression, and suicide are significant public health problems, particularly among college students. Impulsivity is associated with all of these factors. Additionally, impulsivity increases the effects of negative mood and alcohol use on maladaptive behavior. METHODS The current cross-sectional study examined the association between the four-factor model of impulsivity (urgency, (lack of) perseverance, (lack of) premeditation, and sensation seeking), depressive symptoms, and alcohol use as predictors of suicide proneness among college students. Participants (n =1100) completed online assessments of demographics, impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and suicide proneness. RESULTS All predictors were positively related to suicide proneness. The relation between depressive symptoms and suicide proneness was moderated by (lack of) perseverance, alcohol use, and joint interactions of urgency × alcohol use and sensation seeking × alcohol use. Despite some paradoxical findings regarding the depressive symptoms-suicide proneness relation when only one risk factor was elevated, the average level of suicide proneness increased as risk factors increased. LIMITATIONS This cross-sectional self-report data comes from a non-clinical sample of college students from a homogeneous background, limiting generalizability and causal predictions. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these findings indicate that the association between depressive symptoms and suicide proneness varies considerably by different facets of impulsivity and alcohol use. The results suggest that clinical risk-assessments should weigh two forms of impulsivity (urgency and sensation seeking) as particularly vital in the presence of heavy alcohol use. These findings highlight the importance of considering and exploring moderators of the mood-suicide relationship.

Cyberbullying, Depression, and Problem Alcohol Use in Female College Students: A Multisite Study

“…24 Previous literature supports positive associations between depression and alcohol use, and heavy alcohol use is also a risk factor for suicide in this population. 25 Given the high prevalence of both depression and alcohol abuse among college students, examination of risk factors for these health concerns is important for prevention of morbidity and mortality.…”

Gender Differences in the Relationships Among Major Depressive Disorder, Heavy Alcohol Use, and Mental Health Treatment Engagement Among College Students

“…Findings regarding the association between nonclinical depressive symptoms and alcohol use are also mixed. Among college students, depressive symptoms have been found to be associated with ever engaging in HED (Valentiner et al, 2004), problematic alcohol use (Dvorak et al, 2013), and higher daily alcohol use (Pedrelli et al, 2011) but not with past-month drinking days (Lamis et al, 2010), drinks per month (Gonzalez et al, 2011), weekly drinks (Kenney et al, 2013), and frequent heavy drinking (Lamis et al, 2010;Vickers et al, 2004).…”

Using the College Systems Model to Address High-Risk Underage Drinking

“…Impulsivity can be broadly defined as "The predisposition toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli without regard to the negative consequences of these reactions" [8]. Being a college student is one of the most impulsive times in a person's life.…”

“…Alcohol use, depression, and suicide ideation/attempts are all significant public health issues where college students are particularly at risk [8]. College students that consume alcohol can also be in danger for symptoms of depression and suicide ideation.…”

“…College students that consume alcohol can also be in danger for symptoms of depression and suicide ideation. According to Dvorak, Lamis, and Malone, it is important to examine underlying mechanisms that may be contributing to an elevated suicide risk among individuals who are using alcohol and experiencing depressive symptoms [8]. There can be times when college students may be drinking to decrease symptoms of depression and end up having suicidal ideation or increased feelings of depression.…”