Biological Factors Underpinning Suicidal Behaviour: An Update

Abstract

Suicide, a global health burden, represents the 17th leading cause of death worldwide (1.3%), but the 4th among young people aged between 15 and 29 years of age, according to World Health Organization (WHO), 2019. Suicidal behaviour is a complex, multi-factorial, polygenic and independent mental health problem caused by a combination of alterations and dysfunctions of several biological pathways and disruption of normal mechanisms in brain regions that remain poorly understood and need further investigation to be deciphered. Suicide complexity and unpredictability gained international interest as a field of research. Several studies have been conducted at the neuropathological, inflammatory, genetic, and molecular levels to uncover the triggers behind suicidal behaviour and develop convenient and effective therapeutic or at least preventive procedures. This review aims to summarise and focus on current knowledge of diverse biological pathways involved in the neurobiology of suicidal behaviour, and briefly highlights future potential therapeutic pathways to prevent or even treat this significant public health problem.

DSM-5 suicidal behavior disorder: a systematic review of research on clinical utility, diagnostic boundaries, measures, pathophysiology and interventions

“…The pathophysiology of suicidal behavior is complex and involves interactions among multiple biological systems (for a review, see 22 ). Research on the pathophysiology of SBD, more specifically, has until now exclusively centered on endocrinological markers, and these findings appear to be reported by the same or overlapping research groups.…”

A Decade of Dedication: Pioneering Perspectives on Neurological Diseases and Mental Illnesses

“…Despite the emphasis on neurobiological underpinnings and the poor predictive accuracy of many sociodemographic risk factors and prognostic markers, understanding and predicting suicide remain significant challenges [158][159][160]. Cremone et al examined the relationship between blood levels of serotonin, BDNF, Trp and its metabolites, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and homocysteine levels and suicidality in adults with autism and explored how these biochemical parameters may be linked to an elevated risk of suicide [89].…”

Evidence for the biopsychosocial model of suicide: a review of whole person modeling studies using machine learning

“…Instead, the majority of research has focused on only one or two types of risk factors, most often clinical or psychological ( 28 ). Conversely, recent advancements in our understanding of the biological underpinnings of suicide are usually marred by a lack of consideration of psychosocial context; these findings must be contextualized to the experiences of the individual to ultimately facilitate a precision approach to suicide prevention ( 29 ). Thus, assessment of risk in predictive modeling of suicide stands to benefit from including transdisciplinary information, integrating across domains of measurement simultaneously.…”