Citation

Sher L. Rev. Bras. Psiquiatr. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Associacao Brasileira de Psiquiatria)

DOI

10.1590/1516-4446-2021-2281

PMID

35239837

Abstract

Suicide research and prevention are critical public health tasks, especially nowadays, during the stressful and continuing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.1- 3 High-lethality suicide attempters who behaviorally closely resemble suicide victims may also resemble them biochemically.4 Studies of the neurobiology of high-lethality suicide attempts may shed light on the pathophysiology of suicide. Moreover, such studies may help find biological markers of suicide and identify targets for therapeutic drugs to reduce suicidality. Finding biological predictors of highly lethal suicide attempts may be of significant value in predicting suicide.

Some studies have been conducted on the pathophysiology of highly lethal suicide attempts. Recently, Aguglia et al.5 examined the complete blood count values in high- and low-lethality suicide attempters and non-attempters. Individuals with a history of high-lethality suicide attempts had a higher number of neutrophils, mean platelet volume, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-lymphocyte ratio, as well as a lower number of lymphocytes relative to both those with low-lethality suicide attempts and the control group.5 The same research group previously observed that lower total cholesterol and higher c-reactive protein serum levels were associated with high-lethality suicide attempts.6

We compared high and low-lethality drug-free depressed suicide attempters with comorbid alcoholism...

Language: en