| Title: | GWAS of Suicide Attempt in Psychiatric Disorders and Association With Major Depression Polygenic Risk Scores |
| Journal: | Am J Psychiatry |
| Published: | 1 Aug 2019 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31164008/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.18080957 |
Publication 2644
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Abstract
Suicide is a worldwide public health problem with more than 800,000 deaths due to suicide each year. Rates of suicide are far exceeded by suicide attempts, which occur up to 20 times more frequently, making suicidality a huge personal, social and economic burden. These stark figures highlight the urgent need for improved prevention and treatment, however, progress has been hampered by the lack of reliable methods for predicting suicidality and a poor understanding of its biological etiology.Like many psychiatric disorders, suicide attempt is known to have a partially genetic underpinning and genetic studies can provide invaluable insights into the underlying biology. Through the collective efforts of many researchers, we analyzed the genomes of suicide attempters and non-attempters across three major psychiatric disorders. Our data showed that suicide attempters with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder or a schizophrenia diagnosis carry a greater genetic liability for major depression than non-attempters. These results indicate the existence of a shared genetic etiology between suicide attempt and major depression that is common to suicide attempt in different psychiatric disorders. However, further collaborative efforts to amass samples on an even larger scale will be essential to identify specific genetic variants which play a role in increasing risk of suicide attempt. The ultimate goal of this research is to undercover the biological mechanisms underlying suicidality and develop new treatments and preventions, in order to reduce its burden on patients, families and healthcare systems.
1 Author
- Mullins N et al.
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 16577 | Investigations of the genetic overlap between internalising psychiatric disorders and co-morbid physical health disorders. |
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