Researchers at the University of Utah published a genetic analysis of more than 2,700 people who died by suicide in JAMA Network Open. They compared individuals with prior non-fatal suicidal thoughts or behaviours to those with no recorded history of suicidality, using anonymized genetic data to look for differences in psychiatric risk.
The study found that roughly half of people who died by suicide had no documented suicidal thoughts or known psychiatric conditions tied to suicide risk. The subgroup without known suicidality had fewer psychiatric diagnoses and carried fewer genetic risk factors for several conditions. In particular, they tended to have lower genetic risk for major depressive disorder, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease and PTSD, and they were not more likely than the general population to show milder traits such as depressed mood or neuroticism.
Lead author Hilary Coon of the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine noted that many at-risk people may not be depressed, which widens the group researchers must consider. The team plans further work to identify hidden at-risk individuals and to study links with chronic pain, inflammation and respiratory disorders, as well as traits that may provide resilience. The researchers also stress that individual genetic effects are small and no single gene causes suicide. For immediate help, call 988 for confidential support.
- Published in JAMA Network Open
- Lower genetic risk for depression and anxiety
- Researchers will study other health links
Difficult words
- anonymize — remove identifying information from data or recordsanonymized
- psychiatric — related to mental health and mental disorders
- suicidality — thoughts, plans, or behaviours leading to suicide
- subgroup — a smaller group within a larger study population
- resilience — ability to cope and recover from difficulties
- inflammation — body response that causes swelling and pain
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might many people who die by suicide have no recorded suicidal thoughts or psychiatric diagnosis? Give possible reasons based on the article.
- The researchers plan to study links with chronic pain, inflammation and respiratory disorders. How could these health problems affect suicide risk in real life?
- What are the possible benefits and risks of using genetic information to try to identify people at risk of suicide? Give examples and reasons.
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