Citation

Sullivan PF, Joyce PR, Bulik CM, Mulder RT, Oakley-Browne M. Biol. Psychiatry 1994; 36(7): 472-477.

Affiliation

University Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7811844

Abstract

There exists considerable controversy regarding an association between low total cholesterol and increased mortality from suicide. As suicide mortality is a crude marker for suicidal ideation and behavior, we investigated the association between total cholesterol and suicidality in a depressed sample. Ninety men and women meeting structured criteria for a major depressive episode of at least moderate severity participated in a study of predictors of treatment response. A three level variable codified the degree of suicidality in the previous month: no suicidal thoughts (39/90), suicidal ideation or plan (38/90), and a suicide attempt (13/90). There was a significant univariate association between lower cholesterol levels and increasing degrees of suicidality. In a multivariate analysis, this association was the only one that neared statistical significance (p = 0.068). Although it is premature to conclude that these variables are causally associated, data from a number of sources suggest that this association is worthy of further study.

Language: en