People with alcohol-use disorders attempt suicide at a rate six to 10 times greater than the general population, according to researchers at Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany.

UPI reported April 24 that studies have shown that up to 40 percent of people seeking treatment for alcohol problems had attempted suicide. The German study was based on assessments and interviews of 376 alcohol patients, 55 percent of whom were found to have a personality disorder, and 25 percent of whom had attempted suicide at least once.

The study appears in the May 2006 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.