Combined biological tests for suicide prediction

William Coryell; Michael Schlesser

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.021

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Combined biological tests for suicide prediction

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Combined biological tests for suicide prediction

William Coryell and Michael Schlesser

Psychiatry research, Vol.150(2), pp.187-191

03/30/2007

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.021

PMCID: PMC1880882

PMID: 17289156

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Abstract

Disturbances in serotonin neuroregulation and in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity are both likely, and possibly independent, factors in the genesis of suicidal behavior. This analysis considers whether clinically accessible measures of these two disturbances have additive value in the estimation of risk for suicide. Seventy-four inpatients with RDC major or schizoaffective depressive disorders entered a prospective follow-up study from 1978-1981, underwent a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and had fasting serum cholesterol levels available in the medical record. As reported earlier, patients who had had an abnormal DST result were significantly more likely to commit suicide during follow-up. Serum cholesterol concentrations did not differ by DST result and low cholesterol values were associated with subsequent suicide when age was included as a covariate. These results indicate that, with the use of age-appropriate thresholds, serum cholesterol concentrations may be combined with DST results to provide a clinically useful estimate of suicide risk.

Depressive Disorder, Major - blood

Predictive Value of Tests

Prospective Studies

Age Factors

Follow-Up Studies

Glucocorticoids

Cholesterol - blood

Humans

Middle Aged

Suicide - prevention & control

Male

Psychotic Disorders - blood

Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis

Suicide - psychology

Adult

Female

Hydrocortisone - blood

Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiopathology

Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis

Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiopathology

Dexamethasone

Risk Assessment

Psychotic Disorders - psychology

Biomarkers - blood

Suicide - statistics & numerical data

Bipolar Disorder - blood

Bipolar Disorder - psychology

Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology

Analysis of Variance

Survival Analysis

Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis

Details

Title: Subtitle: Combined biological tests for suicide prediction
Creators: William Coryell - Department of Psychiatry, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, 2-205 MEB, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, USA. william-coryell@uiowa.edu
Michael Schlesser
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Psychiatry research, Vol.150(2), pp.187-191
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2006.01.021
PMID: 17289156
PMCID: PMC1880882
NLM abbreviation: Psychiatry Res
ISSN: 0165-1781
eISSN: 1872-7123
Publisher: Elsevier BV; Ireland
Grant note: U01 MH025416 / NIMH NIH HHS MH 25416 / NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH025416 / NIMH NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 03/30/2007
Academic Unit: Psychiatry
Record Identifier: 9984003988502771

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