Citation

Prousky JE. J. Orthomol. Psychiatry 2017; 32(3): 1-22.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Academy of Orthomolecular Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

Each year 800,000 people worldwide die from completed suicide. For every person who suicides, many more have attempted to end their lives. The impact of suicide is not only devastating for patients and their families, friends, and acquaintances, but it remains one of the most shocking events that can happen to clinicians who work with mentally distressed and vulnerable patients. Certain sources of published information suggest that a rational and essentially riskfree orthomolecular strategy involving specific orthomolecules might mitigate suicide risk if used on a timely basis by clinicians instead of waiting for higher levels of evidence while potentially-suicidal patients may be deteriorating. Orthomolecules refer to substances found naturally or normally in the human body, such as amino acids, essential fatty acids, hormones, minerals, and vitamins. In this paper, the author reviews published information and builds a case for specific orthomolecular interventions that could be offered to patients that have attempted suicide and/or to patients vulnerable to suicide. While this paper does not exhaustively review all of the available evidence, selected publications associate suicide risk and suicide with cholesterol, omega-3 essential fatty acids, kynurenine pathway modulators, 25- hydroxyvitamin D3 levels, and lithium levels in drinking water. The author comments on the evidence and advances a clinical strategy that could help to prevent suicide among vulnerable patients. © 2017 International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine.

Language: en