TY  - JOUR
AU  - Chatterji,Pinka
AU  - Dave,Dhaval
AU  - Kaestner,Robert
AU  - Markowitz,Sara
TI  - Alcohol Abuse and Suicide Attempts Among Youth - Correlation or Causation?
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 9638
PY  - 2003
Y2  - April 2003
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w9638
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w9638.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Pinka Chatterji
State University of New York at Albany
Economics Department
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY  12222
Tel: 518/442-4746
E-Mail: pchatterji@albany.edu

Dhaval M. Dave
Bentley University
Department of Economics
175 Forest Street, AAC 195
Waltham, MA 02452-4705
Tel: 212/817-7955
Fax: 212/817-1597
E-Mail: ddave@bentley.edu

Robert Kaestner
Institute of Government and Public Affairs
University of Illinois
815 West Van Buren Street, Suite 525
Chicago, IL  60607
Tel: 312/996-8227
E-Mail: kaestner.robert@gmail.com

Sara Markowitz
Department of Economics
Emory University
1602 Fishburne Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30322
Tel: (404) 712-8167
E-Mail: sara.markowitz@emory.edu
AB  - 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.
ER  -