Alcohol misuse and suicide are significant public health issues among college students and often co-occur. Individuals with minority identities have a greater risk for both alcohol misuse and suicidality due to increased stress associated with racism and heterosexism. A new study examines risk for alcohol misuse and suicide separately and concurrently among college students with minoritized and intersecting racial, ethnic, and sexual identities. Findings will be shared at the 49th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcohol (RSA) in San Antonio, Texas.
“While alcohol use overall among college students may be trending down, alcohol misuse such as binge drinking and alcohol-related consequences have not decreased proportionally,” explained Tristin Chipman, a Ph.D. candidate at The School of Public Health at Georgia State University. “At the same time, mental health issues including suicidality are trending up, and students who engage in binge drinking are more likely to endorse ideas of suicide,” “College students who are first generation, non-heterosexual, or engage in higher alcohol use are at a higher risk for suicidality.
Chipman’s study asked college students (n=1887) aged 18-25 years from two large minority-serving universities in the U.S. to complete a brief online survey regarding demographics, alcohol use, and suicide risk. Risk factors for alcohol misuse alone, suicide alone, and co-occurring alcohol misuse and suicide risks were assessed and stratified by racial and ethnic identities. In addition, participants were categorized into four gender-sexual orientation groups: heterosexual women or men; and sexual minority women or men.
“Results show that heterosexual women are at higher risk for alcohol misuse than their male peers across all racial and ethnic identities,” said Chipman. “In addition, sexual minority individuals of both gender identities, across all racial and ethnic strata indicate compounded burdens of risk for alcohol misuse and suicide that may also impact their safety on campus. Our findings highlight the need for alcohol and suicide research and prevention programs that address existing identity differences across gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.”
Chipman said she was surprised at the significantly lower risk profiles for alcohol misuse in heterosexual men compared to heterosexual women across the three racial strata examined: Black, Asian, and White. “While this doesn’t mean that heterosexual male college students carry no risk for alcohol misuse or suicide, it does mean they are less likely to be at risk than their same-racial and ethnic identity peers who are women or sexual minorities,” she said.
Chipman was also surprised at the substantial difference in co-occurring risk for both alcohol misuse and suicide in Latine sexual minority women; a co-occurrence that was nearly 13 times higher than for Latine heterosexual men. “I think there can be social stereotypes,” she observed, “about who engages in alcohol misuse in college settings or who might be at risk for suicide. The findings have me wondering about the types of available support needed for different people based on their intersections of identity.”
Chipman believes her findings can help both students and parents understand and prepare for potential identity-based stress at university, how this stress can manifest, and how to recognize red flags or areas of concern before they become a problem. “I think it can also be helpful for university officials to be aware that psychosocial risks can compound to create disproportionate stress on certain students, and understand the importance of tailored support systems to make secondary education experiences accessible and equitable for all students.”