Suicidal Ideation and Attempt among Alcohol use Disorder Patients Attending Addiction Clinic at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Alcohol is one of commonly used psychoactive substances. Harmful use of alcohol results in a cluster of behavioral and physical symptoms known as Alcohol use disorder. WHO suggests that harmful use of alcohol to be an individual risk factor for suicidal behavior, accounting for 25-50% of all suicides linked to alcohol and other substance. Many studies were done on alcohol and suicidal ideation and attempt. Most of these studies suggest that alcohol have association with suicidal ideation and attempt. But there are studies with no association between alcohol use disorder and suicidal ideation and attempt. Objective: To assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among alcohol use disorder patients attending addiction clinic at Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital (AMSH). It also determines the association of alcohol use disorder and suicidal ideation and attempt. Method: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study, that include 120 patients of age above and equal 18 years. Data were collected by using ASSIST 3.1 (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test), to assess alcohol use disorder, CSSRS (Colombia suicide severity rating scale) to assesssuicidal ideation and attempt, and PHQ-9 (patient health questioners-9) to assess the depression and severity of depressive symptoms. Chi square and binary logistic regression was used to assess factor relation. Result: The overall prevalence of suicide ideation and attempt among alcohol use disorder patients was 30.6% for the past month and 31.7% for past year of time of data collection. Suicide attempt was 14.9% and 13.3% respectively. Older age was associated significantly with suicidal ideation and attempt (X2 =6.128, P=0.047). Alcohol use disorder had no association with suicidal ideation and attempt for both past month (OR = 0.827; 95% CI 0.116, 5.914) (P = 0.850) and the past year (OR=1.360; 95% CI 0.122,15.165) (P=0.803) of data collection. Major depressive disorder was significantly associated with alcohol use disorder (P=0.047). Conclusion: Suicide ideation and attempt was significantly associated with advancement of age among alcohol use disorder patients. Alcohol use disorder has no association with suicide ideation and attempt among the respondents. Alcohol use disorder and major depressive disorder was significantly associated with and could lead to suicidal ideation and attempt indirectly. Recommendation: Further researches on alcohol use disorder, depression and suicide are necessary to assess the relationship each character.