Abstract

Background: Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for suicidal behavior. Until now, there are no convincing explanations for the gradient in the suicide rates in Europe. Objective: To assess the role of alcohol as a potential predictor of the gradient of suicide rates in Europe. Materials and methods: The analysis was carried out using the indicators of the WHO database selected for the period from 1980 to 2020 (suicide mortality rate, alcohol consumption level, alcohol-related mortality rate). Results: According to the results of the correlation analysis, the suicide rate correlates with the level of alcohol-related mortality in Western and Eastern European countries. At the same time, the indicators characterizing alcohol consumption at the population level (total alcohol consumption level, consumption of spirits and beer) positively correlate with the suicide rate only in Eastern European countries. Conclusions: These findings confirm the existing idea that alcohol makes a significant contribution to the burden of mortality due to suicide in the European region.