Could blood biomarkers be the future in detecting individuals at risk of suicide?

Content warning: this article discusses suicide. *

Suicide is a serious global public health problem. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide accounts for more than 700,000 deaths per year. Analysis of Office of National Statistics data by the Samaritans shows that the most at-risk demographics in the UK are people who live in deprived areas and men (especially between the age of 45-49), although statistics show that the female suicide rate has been rising since 2017.

The demographic risk factor of gender is often emphasised in reports on suicide. Though additional research conducted by the Samaritans indicates that while men are significantly more likely to die by suicide, they are less likely to experience suicidal thoughts and attempt suicide than women. The charity noted that there are complex causes behind this ‘gender paradox’ in suicide rates. As a result, the Samaritans suggest a more nuanced approach, advising against simply reporting and evaluating risk through the prism of gender, which they say has the potential to obscure increased risk among certain other demographical groupings, and the interaction of suicidal behaviours to additional risk and protective factors.

Alternative models for identifying at-risk demographics have included age, socioeconomic status, living in an urban area, and ethnicity and its relation to the likelihood of accessing mental health support. However, these models for assessing risk are still somewhat imprecise; correspondently, a team of researchers have developed a new, more individualised approach for identifying persons highly at risk of suicide.

New approach integrates blood and brain data to identify potential suicide intent blood biomarkers

Results from a study conducted by the University of California researchers have demonstrated the use of non-preserved blood to uncover the signatures of specific suicide biomarkers. The technique involves analysing blood samples of individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and looking for gene expressions related to the stress response, including polyamine metabolism, circadian rhythm, immune dysregulation, and telomere maintenance.

Lead author Adolfo Sequeira, associate researcher in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at the UCI School of Medicine, said that identifying these biomarkers is “an important step toward developing blood tests to identify patients with imminent risk of ending their lives.”

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to analyse blood and brain samples in a well-defined population of MDDs demonstrating significant differences in gene expression associated with completed suicide.”

The study’s conclusions are based on an analysis of data from the blood and brain samples of people who had died by suicide. The research team commented that the findings open up a critical opportunity for healthcare providers to recognise potential risk not only by patient disclosure, as many individuals do not reveal suicidal ideation to clinicians, or by imprecise demographical risk, but also by a relatively simple blood biomarker test to accurately assess serious suicide intent.

*You can contact Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Republic of Ireland; this number will not appear on your phone bill), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of the nearest branch.