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Related Experiment Videos

Cortisol levels and suicidal behavior: A meta-analysis.

Daryl B O'Connor1, Eamonn Ferguson2, Jessica A Green1

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|November 12, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Cortisol levels, indicating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, show a significant age-dependent association with suicidal behavior. Higher cortisol correlates with suicide attempts in younger individuals, while lower cortisol does in older adults.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Suicidal behavior is a significant global health concern with complex underlying causes.
  • Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, reflected in cortisol levels, is a potential risk factor for suicidal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the association between cortisol levels and suicidal behavior.
  • To investigate age as a moderator of the cortisol-suicidal behavior relationship.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analytic review of 27 studies involving 2226 participants (779 suicide attempters, 1447 controls).
  • Analysis of effect sizes (r) using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis to compare suicide attempters with non-attempters.
  • Examination of study quality, mean sample age, and sex distribution as potential moderators.
Keywords:
Allostatic loadChronic stressCortisolSuicide

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • No overall significant association between suicidal behavior and cortisol levels was found.
  • A significant age-dependent association emerged: higher cortisol correlated with suicide attempts in samples with a mean age under 40 (r=.234, p<.001).
  • Conversely, lower cortisol correlated with suicide attempts in samples with a mean age of 40 and above (r=-.129, p<.001).

Conclusions:

  • HPA axis activity, indicated by cortisol levels, is associated with suicidal behavior in an age-dependent manner.
  • The reversal of the cortisol-suicide attempt association across different age groups requires further theoretical explanation and clinical investigation.