Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41997868›Full record

ArticleActa psychiatrica Scandinavica2026

Blood Alcohol Concentration in Finnish Suicide Deaths and Associated Risk Factors, 2016-2024.

Tristan Pokornyi, Marjut Grainger, Timo Partonen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Alcohol as a Foreseeable Suicide Risk Amplifier.Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Tristan PokornyiFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Healthcare and Social Welfare, Promotional and Preventive Work Unit, Mental Health Team, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6255-8620
Marjut GraingerFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Healthcare and Social Welfare, Promotional and Preventive Work Unit, Mental Health Team, Helsinki, Finland.
Timo PartonenFinnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Department of Healthcare and Social Welfare, Promotional and Preventive Work Unit, Mental Health Team, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1951-2455

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThere is limited research examining the relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and other risk factors among suicide deaths in Finland. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship of an elevated (more than zero) blood alcohol concentration with medical history, including sociodemographic characteristics and disease diagnoses.

methodsData was collected from suicide deaths in Finland from 2016 to 2024 and verified by official cause-of-death investigations, which included forensic autopsy, toxicology results, and other key information from death certificates and national healthcare registries. A condition recorded in both the death certificate (autopsy) and healthcare register was considered as confirmed diagnosis. BAC, as expressed as a percentage, was grouped into three categories: nil (BAC = 0.000), low-to-medium (BAC = 0.010%-0.099%), and high (BAC = 0.100%-0.500%). Descriptive statistics, correlation, and stepwise logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for BAC categories were undertaken.

resultsThe number of suicide deaths from 2016 to 2024 in Finland was n = 6892, with 5183 men (75.2%) and 1709 women (24.8%). BAC reports were available for n = 6835. Independent factors associated with a low-to-medium or high BAC at death were alcohol use (ORs: 41.80-275.27), longer than 1 day since last healthcare visit (ORs: 1.54-2.53), previous suicide attempt(s) (ORs: 1.42-1.65), and female gender (only for high BAC, OR: 1.30). There were reduced odds for schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis (OR: 0.17), bipolar disorder (OR: 0.29), age groups 10-19 (ORs: 0.30-0.65), 80 and over (ORs: 0.15-0.39), and 70-79 years (only for high BAC, OR: 0.43).

conclusionOur findings show that individuals with documented habitual alcohol use, female gender, previous suicide attempts, and less frequent healthcare visits had higher odds of intoxication at suicide. Meanwhile, being aged under 20, over 70, or diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders reduced the odds. The results highlight the need for proactive healthcare engagement and integrated alcohol-use interventions in suicide prevention strategies.

Indexed as

Blood Alcohol ContentSuicideSuicide, CompletedAdolescentAdultAgedCause of DeathFemaleFinlandHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesRisk FactorsSchizophreniaYoung AdultBlood Alcohol Contentforensic medicinepopulationpsychiatryrisksuicidal behaviour

Identifiers

PMID41997868
PMCPMC13327200

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.