NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH
NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts Among Youth - Correlation or Causation?

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Pinka Chatterji, Dhaval Dave, Robert Kaestner, Sara Markowitz

NBER Working Paper No. 9638
Issued in April 2003
NBER Program(s):   CH   HE

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This study uses the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) to explore the causal relationship between alcohol abuse (binge drinking and clinically defined alcohol use disorders) and suicide attempts among youth. We use an empirical approach that allows one to assess the existence and strength of a causal relationship without relying on identifying assumptions. Our results suggest that a causal relationship between binge drinking and suicide attempts is very unlikely. The findings, however, support a causal relationship between clinically defined alcohol use disorders and suicide attempts among girls.

Published: Chatterji, Pinka, Dhaval Dave, Robert Kaestner, and Sara Markowitz. “Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts Among Youth." Economics and Human Biology 2, 2 (2004): 159-180.

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