Here we are with the selection of articles published in the months of March and April 2019, about suicide, self harm and suicidal related topics from the major scientific journals.
Three articles are presented with a small comment by Raffaella Calati.
- The psychological scars of suicide: Accounting for how risk for suicidal behavior is heightened by its past
occurrence.
Liu RT1.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019 Apr;99:42-48. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.01.024. Epub 2019 Jan 24.
In this paper the hypothesis that suicide attempts may leave a residual psychological scar that heightens risk for future attempts is discussed. This possibility is evaluated against two alternatives: (i) risk for first and subsequent suicide attempts is accounted for by a shared diathesis pre-existing the first lifetime attempt, and (ii) different rates of developmental decline in risk factors account for differences in prospective number of attempts.
Item 1 – 3 of 3 - Cancer Diagnosis and Suicide Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Amiri S, Behnezhad S.
Arch Suicide Res. 2019 May 9:1-19. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2019.1596182.
This is the first meta-analysis on suicide mortality risk in cancer patients. 22 studies were included. Cancer was found to be associatiated with increased risk of suicide in men and women. The following results were reported based on the subtypes of cancer: in esophagus, stomach, pancreas and liver cancers pooled Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.32-3.23, and p < 0.001; in colon and rectum cancers SMR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.26-1.97, and p < 0.001; in bronchus, trachea and lung cancers SMR = 3.07; 95% CI = 2.20-4.28, and p < 0.001; in breast cancer SMR = 1.24; 95% CI = 1.03-1.48, and p = 0.020; in prostate cancer SMR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.38-2.12, and p < 0.001. There was some evidence of publication bias.
Item 2 – 3 of 3 - Differentiating acute suicidal affective disturbance (ASAD) from anxiety and depression Symptoms: A network analysis.
Rogers ML1, Hom MA2, Joiner TE2.
J Affect Disord. 2019 May 1;250:333-340. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.03.005.
The first network analysis on the proposed new clinical entity of Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) has been perfromed by Joiner and his reserch team. The aim was to evaluate, in 167 psychiatric inpatients, whether current ASAD symptoms (i.e., suicidal intent, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, disgust with others and oneself, agitation, irritability, insomnia, and nightmares) comprise a psychopathological network distinct from anxiety and depression symptoms. Three distinct clusters of symptoms corresponding to ASAD, anxiety, and depression were revealed. ASAD
symptoms demonstrated (i) strong associations with each other, (ii) weak associations with symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Item 3 – 3 of 3
EPA Section of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention 