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Alcohol and suicide—the Portuguese experience
Author(s) -
SKOG OLEJØRGEN,
TEIXEIRA ZÉLIA,
BARRIAS JOSE,
MOREIRA RUI
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1995.90810534.x
Subject(s) - portuguese , per capita , demography , suicide prevention , suicide rates , injury prevention , poison control , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , alcohol consumption , psychology , medicine , environmental health , alcohol , sociology , chemistry , population , philosophy , linguistics , biochemistry , pathology
Abstract An analysis of regional (18 regions) and temporal (1931–89) covariation of suicide rates and indicators of alcohol use and abuse in Portugal is reported. In the time series analysis, a positive relationship was found. An increase in per capita alcohol consumption of one litre is accompanied by a simultaneous increase in the male suicide rate of 1.9 per cent. This is comparable to what has been reported for France and Denmark, but considerably less than that found in Norway, Sweden and Hungary. In the regional data, there was a substantial negative correlation between the variables. However, after controlling for religious and family integration, the latter correlation became small and insignificant but still negative. A possible explanation is suggested for the different outcomes of the two analyses.