Medical Minute: Researchers Investigate Genetics As Factor In Suicide Risk

One person dies by suicide every 11 minutes, and researchers believe genetics may play a role.

Suicide rates reached an all-time high in 2023, and officials don’t expect improvement this year. Researchers are working to identify those most at risk before tragedy strikes.

Alexis Callor, who lost her uncle to suicide 10 years ago, remembers him with a smile, though she’s still healing.

“It was a big surprise, and it was so shocking,” she said. Callor’s family faced more losses when her second cousin and later her aunt also died by suicide, leading her mother, Katy, to wonder if genetics were to blame.

“It makes me extremely fearful for my children,” she said.

University of Utah psychiatrist Hillary Coon is part of an international study that identified 12 DNA variations linked to suicide attempts.

Researchers examined over 1.3 million cases and found connections between suicide risk and factors like impulsivity, smoking, chronic pain, ADHD, pulmonary conditions, and heart disease.

“Some of [the genes] fall into pathways related to how the brain works, with how synapses fire and how neurons develop,” said Coon, stressing that no single gene causes suicide but rather the cumulative effect of multiple genes.

Knowing if genetics plays a role could help researchers intervene before tragedy.

“It’s absolutely terrifying to think about every day that that’s something that could potentially happen,” Callor said. She added that her own struggles with mental health have kept her mindful of the impact on her family. “I gotta keep going for my family.”

The U.S. aims to reduce suicides by 20% in the coming years through local programs focused on at-risk individuals.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.