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Between 2000 and 2016, the suicide death rate in the United States increased by 30%. For approximately 5% of Americans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a major suicide risk factor, new research shows progress in preventing self-harm.
A small study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed a link between people suffering from PTSD and likely to commit suicide in front of a specific biomarker (a visible indication of the state of health of someone). 39; a), reports the daily. The Yale Daily News. Using PET, Yale University's team of researchers examined the brains of 87 people (29 with PTSD, 29 with depression and 29 with no diagnosis).
PTSD brain scans with current suicidal ideation showed higher levels of glutamatergic metabotropic receptor 5, or mGluR5, which was associated with mood disorders and anxiety disorders. The researchers did not find a high level in the depressive group, which included both individuals with and without suicidal thoughts.
Irina Esterlis, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at Yale, who wrote the study, says the discovery could have significant consequences for people who have experienced trauma. When their PETs show high levels of mGluR5, mental health professionals can intervene in time to provide them with resources and psychiatric help to prevent them from committing suicide. It is also seen as a breakthrough for the scientific community, as if researchers could find a way to reduce mGluR55 levels, they might one day be able to reduce suicide rates among people with PTSD.
For preliminary results to contribute to changing the relationship between PTSD and suicide, researchers will need to conduct larger studies and establish a definitive cause-and-effect relationship between mGluR55 and mental health effects.
Considering that antidepressants now prescribed to treat people with PTSD do not work for everyone, Dr. Esterlis remains optimistic about the future implications of her findings. "If you have people who are suffering from high blood pressure, you want to reduce these levels immediately," she says. The Yale Daily News. "We do not have this option with PTSD."
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Line at 1-800-273-8255 or write to RISE at 741741.
Physical indicators do not always tell the whole story about mental health, so here's how to talk about suicide to your friends.
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