Prevalence and predictors of substance use as a factor in suicide in the USA, 2015–2020: a repeated cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Background: US rates of substance abuse and suicide mortality increased dramatically in recent years, but little is known about how rising rates of drug and alcohol use are associated with suicide. This study explores the role of substance use in suicide between 2015 and 2020 and identifies individual and geographical factors associated with these patterns. Methods: Repeated cross-sectional data on 103 817 suicide decedents drawn from the 2015–2020 National Violent Death Reporting System, combined with Census geographical data, are