Moderate Heritable Component Identified for Suicide Attempts

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By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on March 11, 2026.

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2026 -- Genetic factors influence suicide attempt risk, but they do not account for observed sex differences, according to a study published online March 10 in BMJ Mental Health.

Thuy-Dung Nguyen, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the genetic contribution to suicide attempts and examined whether genetics account for sex differences in incidence in a population-based cohort study involving 3.1 million individuals born from 1963 to 1998 and followed through Swedish National Registers.

The researchers found that compared with men, women more often had suicide attempts (3.3 versus 2.6 percent). Risk aggregated within families in both sexes (odds ratios ranging from 1.6 to 3.4 across relative types), with higher risk in first- than second-degree relatives. Stronger familial aggregation was seen in women than men and in same-sex first-degree relatives than in cross-sex pairs. Pedigree heritability was 41.9 percent, with no significant difference seen by sex (51.4 and 45.1 percent for women and men, respectively). Moderate-to-high pedigree genetic correlations were seen for suicide attempts with psychiatric disorders, which were strongest with substance use disorders; no significant sex differences were seen. High genetic correlation was seen between female and male suicide attempts (0.85), suggesting a considerable genetic overlap.

"This suggests that genetic liability contributes to suicide attempt risk but does not fully explain the higher incidence in females, underscoring the role of nongenetic factors and potential gene-environment interplay," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-03-12 01:49

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