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Suicidal behaviour: an epidemiological and genetic study
Abstract
Background. Psychiatric history, familial history of suicide attempts, and certain traumatic life events are important predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviour. We examined the epidemiology and genetics of suicidality (i.e. reporting persistent suicidal thoughts or a plan or suicide attempt) in a large community-based sample of MZ and DZ twin pairs. Method. Diagnostic telephone interviews were conducted in 1992–3 with twins from an Australian twin panel first surveyed in 1980–82 (N=5995 respondents). Data were analysed using logistic regression models, taking into account twin pair zygosity and the history of suicidality in the respondent's co-twin. Results. Lifetime prevalence of suicidal thoughts and attempts was remarkably constant across birth cohorts 1930–1964, and across gender. Major psychiatric correlates were history of major depression, panic disorder, social phobia in women, alcohol dependence and childhood conduct problems. Traumatic events involving assault (childhood sexual abuse, rape or physical assault) or status-loss (job loss, loss of property or home, divorce), and the personality trait neuroticism, were also significantly associated with suicide measures. Prevalence of serious suicide attempts varied as a function of religious affiliation. After controlling for these variables, however, history of suicide attempts or persistent thoughts in the respondent's co-twin remained a powerful predictor in MZ pairs (odds ratio=3·9), but was not consistently predictive in DZ pairs. Overall, genetic factors accounted for approximately 45% of the variance in suicidal thoughts and behaviour (95% confidence interval 33–51%). Conclusions. Risk of persistent suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts is determined by a complex interplay of psychiatric history, neuroticism, traumatic life experiences, genetic vulnerability specific for suicidal behaviour and sociocultural risk or protective factors.
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“Human genetic studies have made three major observations: 1) heritability of fatal or nonfatal suicidal behavior and even ideation is moderate; 2) heritability of suicidal behavior is independent of major psychiatric syndromes; and 3) heritability of suicidal behavior is mediated by many gene variants of small effect (44-47).”
From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
In the citing paper
“Human genetic studies have made three major observations: 1) heritability of fatal or nonfatal suicidal behavior and even ideation is moderate; 2) heritability of suicidal behavior is independent of major psychiatric syndromes; and 3) heritability of suicidal behavior is mediated by many gene variants of small effect (44-47).”
From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
In the citing paper
“Human genetic studies have made three major observations: 1) heritability of fatal or nonfatal suicidal behavior and even ideation is moderate; 2) heritability of suicidal behavior is independent of major psychiatric syndromes; and 3) heritability of suicidal behavior is mediated by many gene variants of small effect (44-47).”
From A brain-centric model of suicidal behavior (2020) · cites this paper as [47]
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Metadata
- Authors
- STATHAM, D. J., HEATH, A. C., MADDEN, P. A. F., BUCHOLZ, K. K., BIERUT, L., DINWIDDIE, S. H., SLUTSKE, W. S., DUNNE, M. P., & MARTIN, N. G.
- Affiliations
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Psychological Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1998-07
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 839-855
- ISSN
- 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-8978
- OpenAlex
- W2142265247
- Cited by
- 471
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 26
- FWCI
- 19.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA010249, AA 10249, R01AA007535, AA-07535, AA-07728)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Keywords
- suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, genetic susceptibility, heritability, twin studies, monozygotic and dizygotic twins, psychiatric history, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, alcoholism, child conduct problems, child sexual abuse, traumatic life events, neuroticism, religious affiliation, risk factors
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Australia, Family, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality, Suicide, Suicide, Attempted, Twins, Prevalence
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