Approximately 2–5% of U.S. adults report having attempted suicide in their lifetimes [1–3], with the prevalence increasing in more recent birth cohorts [4]. Additionally, deaths by suicide are one of the leading causes in the recent decline in U.S. life expectancy, alongside other “deaths of despair” such as drug and alcohol related deaths [5, 6]. While the rate of suicide attempts in the general population is alarming, the rate of lifetime suicide attempts is greater than triple (17.5%) among those with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) [7]. Among those seeking treatment for AUD, 40% report at least one suicide attempt at some point in their lives [8–11]. A history of past suicide attempts is among the most prominent predictors of subsequent suicide death and contributes significant health care and disability costs per attempt [12]. Research focused on correlates of suicide attempts can potentially help identify and treat those with non-fatal suicide attempts, with the goal of reducing suicide deaths and saving lives [13]. Individuals with AUD have emerged from these data as a particularly high-risk group.
