Suicide and alcohol psychoses in Belarus 1970-2005.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between alcohol and suicide is well documented. The research evidence suggests an important role for a cultural and social context in the alcohol-suicide association.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the aggregate level effect of alcohol consumption on the suicide rate in Slavic culture.


METHODS
Trends in the suicide and alcohol-psychoses morbidity rate in the former Soviet Slavic republic of Belarus from 1970 to 2005 were analyzed employing an ARIMA time-series analysis.


RESULTS
The results of the analysis suggest a close association between the suicide and alcohol-psychoses morbidity rate.


CONCLUSIONS
This study replicates previous findings that highlighted a close link between alcohol and suicide at the aggregate level. The results of this study also suggest that alcohol is responsible for the fluctuation of the suicide rate in the former Soviet republic of Belarus during the last decades.
Razvodovsky
Yury E
YE
Alcohol and Drugs Related Problems Group, Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. razvodovsky@grsmu.by
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002094:Republic of Belarus / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*