In the largest genetic study of suicide attempts to date, researchers have identified a region of the genome on chromosome 7 containing DNA variations that increase the risk that a person will attempt suicide.
The study also found overlap in the genetic basis of suicide attempts and that of related psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with that of non-psychiatric risk factors such as smoking, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, and poorer general health. The study results, published November 30 in Biological Psychiatry, suggest that the genetic underpinnings of suicide attempts are partially shared and partially distinct from those of related psychiatric disorders.
