Suicide Risk in Alcohol Use Disorders: Literature Review and Study Protocol with Preliminary Data for a Study in Treatment-Seeking Inpatients

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Individuals with substance use disorders are at risk of displaying suicidal behavior with suicide occurring more frequently compared to the general population. This article gives an overview of the existing literature on the association of substance use disorders, especially alcohol use disorder (AUD), with suicidal behavior. Studies indicate that individuals with AUD report a lifetime prevalence of 40% for at least one instance of attempted suicide. They also have a 10 to 14 times higher risk of suicidal behavior compared to the general population. <b>Methods:</b> The protocol and preliminary data from an ongoing study focused on the prevalence and clinical correlations of suicidal ideation and attempts in treatment-seeking inpatients with AUD are presented. The objective of this study is to address open questions regarding the clinical factors and psychiatric comorbidities associated with suicidality in patients with AUD. In a pilot and feasibility study in an inpatient rehabilitation facility for the treatment of substance use disorders, 150 patients with AUD were examined. For assessment, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Symptom Check-list-90 (SCL-90), and the Scale Suicidal Experience and Behavior (SSEV) were used as standardized questionnaires. In addition, psychosocial and sociodemographic variables were recorded. A total of 257 items were surveyed for each respondent. The statistical analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS. <b>Results:</b> The initial evaluation indicates the feasibility of the study with a high number of responders (90% response rate). Of the participants surveyed, 50.7% (N = 76) were at risk of suicide and 40.7% (N = 61) had already made at least one suicide attempt. Even with a small sample size, a significant, moderate-to-large correlation between alcohol use disorder and suicidality could be demonstrated. <b>Conclusions:</b> This confirms that suicidality is a risk factor for patients with AUD. The role of psychiatric comorbidity, clinical correlations and consequences of AUD, Gender and treatment outcome will be studied in a larger sample of 700 patients.