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Suicide attempts in an adolescent female twin sample
A L Glowinski1, K K Bucholz, E C Nelson
1Missouri Alcoholism Research Center, Department of Psychiaty, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA. Glowinsa@matlock.wustl.edu
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|November 9, 2001
Summary
Youth suicide attempts are familial and influenced by genetic factors. This study found that adolescent suicide attempts in females are linked to various psychiatric disorders and environmental factors, with a significant genetic component.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Adolescent Health
Background:
- Suicide attempts among youth are a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the etiology of adolescent suicide attempts is crucial for prevention efforts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate suicide attempts in a large, genetically informative sample of adolescent females.
- To identify risk factors and familial influences on adolescent suicide attempts.
Main Methods:
- Telephone interviews using the Child Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (CSASA) were conducted with 3,416 adolescent female twins.
- The assessment included a detailed section on suicidal behavior.
- Mean age at assessment was 15.5 years.
Main Results:
- 4.2% of subjects reported at least one suicide attempt, with a mean age of first attempt at 13.6 years.
- Major depressive disorder, alcohol dependence, childhood physical abuse, social phobia, conduct disorder, and African-American ethnicity were associated with suicide attempt history.
- Familial influences accounted for 35% to 75% of the variance in suicide attempt risk, with genetic and shared environmental factors playing a role. Monozygotic twins had a higher odds ratio (5.6) than dizygotic twins (4.0) for suicide attempts.
Conclusions:
- The predisposition to attempt suicide often manifests during adolescence in females.
- Youth suicide attempts are familial and potentially influenced by genetic factors, even after accounting for other psychopathology.