Women who experience blackouts are more likely to have suicidal thoughts

Women who blacked out after drinking had urges to commit suicide 1.63 times more frequently than those who had not. Among women who black out every week, the rate more than doubled (2.16 times). (image: Kobiz Media / Korea Bizwire)

Seoul, July 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Women who experience blackouts after drinking have a higher tendency to think about suicide.

Professor Park Eun-chul and his team of preventive medicine at Yonsei University analyzed material from the National Nutrition Survey, conducted from 2007 to 2011 on 42,347 adults. They compared drinking frequency and quantity etc., and found a correlation between drinking and having suicidal thoughts among women.

Women who blacked out after drinking had urges to commit suicide 1.63 times more frequently than those who had not. Among women who black out every week, the rate more than doubled (2.16 times).

The research shows that the quantity of alcohol consumed also provokes suicidal thoughts. Women who drank three or four glasses of soju had a 1.34 times higher chance of thinking about suicide.

Also, excessive drinking casts influence on women to think about suicide. Women who drank more than 10 glasses of soju thought about suicide 1.84 times more than those who didn’t.

Drinking frequency was another factor leading to suicidal thoughts in women. Women who drank two or three times a week thought about suicide 1.41 times more than those who didn’t, and those who drank more than four times a week had an even higher tendency (1.84 times). Women who drank more than four times a week also had a higher rate of actually committing suicide by 2.85 times, a concerning discovery.

The correlation was only seen among women, and no association between the drinking frequency and alcohol consumption of men and tendencies to think about suicide were found.

Medical resident Bae Hong-chul, who participated in the study, noted that the research was a new attempt in the nation. “There are studies that show higher risks of suicide in people who drink more, but this is the first time that it was analyzed according to various types of drinking habits.

Professor Park explains the meaning of the research and the positive possibilities it can bring. “Knowing the type of people who have a higher tendency to commit suicide, there is a better chance of preventing it. Once we know that people with excessive drinking habits have a greater possibility of committing suicide, we can keep an eye on those individuals, and stop them before they do something unfortunate.”

This thesis was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (JPMPH).

By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)