Suicide: a review of new directions in research

Research on the relationship of diagnosis, genetics, violence, and psychological factors to suicide has changed dramatically during the past 20 years. Within this changing framework the author reviews current research, which focuses on understanding why some patients within one diagnostic category such as depression or schizophrenia commit suicide while others do not; separating genetic factors responsible for suicide from those responsible for depression; clarifying the biological correlates of suicide and aggression; and examining the psychosocial and demographic factors affecting suicide among the young and old, men and women, and various cultures and subcultures.