Hospital patients who abuse alcohol at higher risk of suicide says report
Patients admitted to hospital for alcohol-related reasons are 27 times more likely to commit suicide compared to non-alcohol related cases, according to a new report.
A study by Public Health Wales and Cardiff and Swansea Universities says that alcohol-related admissions should be treated in the same way as self-harm-related cases.
Public Health Wales says that while the total number of suicides was greater in men, it's women who have the greatest increase in risk. The risk was 29 time greater in women compared to 10 times greater in men.
Public Health Wales says alcohol use is known to be associated with a higher risk of future suicide, but this is the first study to identify the association with emergency alcohol-related admissions.
The study followed all Welsh residents, aged from 10 to 100, for six years. It looked at patients who were admitted to hospital with an emergency alcohol-related admission, including acute intoxication, alcohol dependence, as well as physical health complications related to alcohol use.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in the UK for men aged 20-49 years and women aged 20-34 years.