Explaining suicide attempt with personality traits of aggression and impulsivity in a high risk tribal population of India

Abstract

IntroductionSuicide is a spectrum of behavior including suicide ideation and suicidal attempt and is undoubtedly the outcome of the interaction of several factors. The role of two main constructs of human nature, aggression and impulsivity, has been discussed broadly in relation to suicide, as endophenotypes or traits of personality, in research and in clinical practice across diagnoses. The objective of our study was to assess impulsive and aggressive behaviors among primitive people of the Idu Mishmi tribe, who are known for high suicide completer and attempter rates.MethodsThe study group was comprised of 177 unrelated Idu Mishmi participants divided into two sets: 39 suicide attempters and 138 non-attempters. Data on demographic factors and details of suicide attempts were collected. Participants completed a set of instruments for assessment of aggression and impulsivity traits.ResultsIn the Idu Mishimi population we screened (n = 177), 22.03% of the individuals had attempted suicide, a high percentage. The suicide attempters also showed a significant sex difference: 35.9% were male and 64.10% were female (p = .002*). The suicide attempters (A) scored significantly higher than non-attempters (NA) on aggression (A = 23.93,NA = 18.46) and impulsivity (A = 75.53,NA = 71.59, with p value = 0.05). The trait impulsiveness showed a significantly higher difference (F (1, 117) = 7.274) in comparison to aggression (F (1, 117) = 2.647), suggesting a profound role of impulsiveness in suicide attempts in the Idu Mishmi population. Analysis of sub-traits of aggression and impulsivity revealed significant correlations between them. Using different models, multivariate logistic regression implied roles of gender (OR = 1.079 (0.05)) and impulsiveness (OR = 3.355 (0.013)) in suicide attempts.ConclusionResults demonstrate that gender and impulsivity are strong risk factors for suicide attempts in the Idu Mishmi population.

Re-testing reported significant SNPs related to suicide in a historical high -risk isolated population from north east India

“…Founder effect events in historically isolated small populations are useful in finding genes not only in Mendelian disorders but also in polygenes of several complex disease phenotypes with the advantage of narrowing down on the sub-phenotype heterogeneity [ 31 – 34 ]. To address this issue, we designed the present study in a historical small isolated endogamous Idu Mishmi population having the highest rate of suicide attempt (14.2%) compared to general urban population (0.4–4.2%) with depression as a significant covariate described in our earlier studies [ 26 , 27 ]. Genetic variants identified in a small population are not restricted only by founder effects, but they can also be mapped in larger populations that help in identification of new or strengthening known pathways underlying the effect of these SNPs in other complex diseases [ 20 ].…”

“…Mene [23][24][25] reported that, between 1971 and 2010, 218 cases of suicide occurred in this tribe in the 10-29 age group with an estimated suicide rate of 58 per 100, 000 individuals surpassing the national average. In a systematic sampling and phenotypic annotation, our studies on Idu-Mishmi reported a high rate of attempted suicide (14.2% compared to the general urban population frequency of 0.4-4.2%) and significant association of depression and endo-phenotypes (impulsivity and aggression) [26][27][28]. The key objective of the present study is whether suggestive significant SNPs reported in GWAS studies conducted in 10 years period (2004 to 2015) and published in a comprehensive review [8], targeting suicide behavior can be replicated in the historical isolated small Idu-Mishmi population with a high rate of suicide attempt.…”

“…The psychiatric assessment of suicide behavior was done based on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and PHQ-9 used for depression assessment. The reliability and validity of these scales used were described in our study [26,27]. All the studied individuals with a suicide attempt, depression or both with or without positive family history have been considered as cases (N = 210) and 249 healthy controls were recruited without any of the given traits and negative family history.…”

The comparison of violence, and the relationship with childhood trauma in Turkish men with alcohol, opiate, and synthetic cannabinoid use disorder

“… 30 , 31 Impulsivity encapsulates behaviors such as weakness in planning one’s actions, seeking excitement, failure in self-regulation, reduced control, and increased expectation for rewards. 32 – 34 These manifestations of impulsivity could also be observed in addiction, committing violent crimes, personality disorders, and other psychiatric disorders. 32 , 34 Besides, childhood abuse or neglect in alcohol and substance addicts could be considered to be related to impulsivity and aggression witnessed in this patient group.…”

“… 32 – 34 These manifestations of impulsivity could also be observed in addiction, committing violent crimes, personality disorders, and other psychiatric disorders. 32 , 34 Besides, childhood abuse or neglect in alcohol and substance addicts could be considered to be related to impulsivity and aggression witnessed in this patient group. 24 , 35 , 36 Impulsivity, aggression, and violence are not unidimensional; hence, it is difficult to identify their relationship.…”