Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
9723140
TITLE
Suicidal behaviour: an epidemiological and genetic study.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND NlmCategory: 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 NlmCategory: METHODS
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 NlmCategory: 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 NlmCategory: 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.
DATE PUBLISHED
1998 Jul
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
pubmed 1998/09/02
medline 1998/09/02 00:01
entrez 1998/09/02 00:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Statham DJ Statham D J DJ Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Australia.
Heath AC Heath A C AC
Madden PA Madden P A PA
Bucholz KK Bucholz K K KK
Bierut L Bierut L L
Dinwiddie SH Dinwiddie S H SH
Slutske WS Slutske W S WS
Dunne MP Dunne M P MP
Martin NG Martin N G NG
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 28
ISSUE: 4
TITLE: Psychological medicine
ISOABBREVIATION: Psychol Med
YEAR: 1998
MONTH: Jul
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Print
ISSN: 0033-2917
ISSNTYPE: Print
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Psychol Med
COUNTRY: England
ISSNLINKING: 0033-2917
NLMUNIQUEID: 1254142
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GRANTID AGENCY COUNTRY
AA07535 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA07728 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
AA10249 NIAAA NIH HHS United States
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Australia
Family
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Personality
Prevalence
Suicide statistics & numerical data
Suicide, Attempted statistics & numerical data
Twins statistics & numerical data
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's