Work

Substance Use and Suicidal Behaviors Among Young Adults

Year: 2002

Type: report

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the causal impact of alcohol and illicit drug use on suicidal behaviors among college students.Every year, more American youth die from suicide than from all leading natural causes of death combined.Substance use has been identified as a leading risk factor in suicidal behaviors.We use instrumental variables to estimate a structural model of suicidal thoughts and attempts.A reduced form equation is also estimated which directly relates the determinants of alcohol and drug use to suicidal behaviors.Data come from the Core Institute's Alcohol and Drug Surveys of College Students.The results are consistent with a causal mechanism from alcohol and illicit drug consumption to suicide thoughts and attempts.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w8810

Authors: Sara Markowitz, Pinka Chatterji, Robert Kaestner, Dhaval Dave

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, Montefiore Medical Center, Emory University, University of Illinois Chicago, Bentley University

Language: English

Topic: Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2113231791

Cites: 31

Cited by: 10

Related to: 10