Suicidal ideation and hopelessness as predictors of alcohol use in adolescents

Introduction: alcohol consumption is a social and public health problem that affects the adolescent population. Despite the evidence, more research is needed on what mental health problems influence alcohol consumption, since the identification of psychological predictors is crucial to improve prevention and intervention strategies. Objective: to analyze suicidal ideation and hopelessness as predictors of alcohol consumption in Peruvian adolescents. Methods: predictive, cross-sectional research design and quantitative approach. 3098 adolescents selected from a non-probabilistic convenience sampling participated. 52.1% were women and 47.9% were men, and the average age was 15 years. Scales on suicidal ideation, hopelessness and alcohol consumption were applied. Regarding the statistical analyses, a structural regression model (SEM) was carried out. Results: the proposed model presented an adequate fit to the data (CFI = 0, 98; RMSEA = 0, 03 [90 % CI: 0, 02–0, 03] and SRMR = 0, 03). Positively, suicidal ideation (β = 0, 18; p = 0, 001) and, negatively, hopelessness (β = -0, 20, p = 0, 001) statistically significantly predict alcohol consumption. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both suicidal ideation and hopelessness predict alcohol consumption in the adolescent population. Therefore, the inclusion of assessment of both psychological problems in primary care and educational settings may reduce the risk of alcohol consumption and, on the other hand, improve prevention and intervention strategies on substance abuse.