In the future, a quick blood test may be all that’s needed to accurately predict how likely any give individual is to commit suicide. It may sound like something from the pages of a sci-fi novel, but researchers have reportedly identified a genetic indicator which could hold the key to determining which individuals are in the highest risk category, which could help stem fast-escalating global suicide rates.
According to the study, now published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the genetic indicator discovers offers a much deeper insight into just how vulnerable a person may be to anxiety, stress and depression – all of which are known triggers of suicidal behavior and self-harm. The team from the Johns Hopkins Center for Prevention Research were interested in the way in which the SKA2 gene is affected by methyls – SKA2 being the gene that influences the brain’s reaction to the hormones the body produces in times of stress.
In the case of those where the functionality of the gene is affected by chemical changes, it may be difficult or impossible for the body to slow or halt the effects of stress hormones. In essence, the situation could be likened to a floodgate being opened and summarily impossible to close, which in turn leads to a situation wherein even moderate or slightly stressful situations have a damaging and ongoing impact.
For the project, the team examined postmortem brain samples from 150 individuals – some of whom had committed suicide though were all of a similar level of general health. In those that had committed suicide, it became evident that the brain’s levels of the SKA2 gene-influencing chemical were much higher, suggesting that the body had not been able to regular or limit the impact of stress hormones.
Following the initial study and analysis, the team then went on to test 325 blood samples in order to see whether or not the data collected would allow them to make accurate predictions as to whether or not any give individual was at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior. By the end of the test, the results showed that the team had successfully predicted which of the individuals whose blood was being tested were in the higher-risk category with an accuracy rate of up to 90%.
However, one of the team working at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine insisted that while the biomarker could indeed be used to identify those in a potentially higher-risk category, it could not be relied on alone for an accurate diagnosis. According to assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Zachary Kaminsky, the biomarker may not in fact be a definitely sign of suicidal thoughts or actions, but could by contrast indicate an extremely resilient individual.
“It helps you get up in the morning, it helps you cross the road, and it helps you run away from a lion,” he said.