The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of tobacco use status (current or past tobacco use) and changes in tobacco use status occurring between the Wave 1 and the Wave 2 interviews with suicide attempt while controlling for potential confounding effects of socio-demographic and psychiatric risk factors utilizing data from a two-wave psychiatric epidemiological survey of a representative sample of U.S. adults. We also compared the strength of the association of tobacco use status and changes in tobacco use status with nicotine dependence in predicting suicide attempt. Nicotine dependence as defined by DSM-IV criteria is based on several behavioral components [22]; the concepts of tobacco use status and change in tobacco use status are defined more narrowly to actual tobacco use or non-use. Comparison of DSM-IV nicotine dependence versus definitions reflecting tobacco use may allow a determination of whether the potential association is related specifically to tobacco use or not.
