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According to one study, there could be hundreds of genes making people more likely to commit suicide.
Scientists have discovered four genetic modifications that are surely more common among people who have committed suicide.
And they say there are more than 200 other people on whom it is worth doing more research to find out if they have any connection to suicide.
The researchers hope that identifying people naturally at higher risk of suicide will help them target mental help to the right places.
Scientists have discovered four genetic changes that occur more often in people who commit suicide than others, and believe that 207 more genes could be linked to suicide.
Researchers at the University of Utah made this discovery by examining the DNA of 1,300 people who had committed suicide in that state.
They found that changes in some genes, named SP110, AGBL2, SUCLA2, and APH1B, were more common in people who had committed suicide than in other people.
In addition to these four genes, there are 207 others that "deserve further analysis," the researchers said.
Scientists have already suggested that suicidal tendencies may exist in the family, but it has proven more difficult to accurately identify the genetic changes that triggered them.
The discovery of these genes and people at high genetic risk may help mental health services to intervene more effectively.
"It's clear that genetics is only part of the risk in suicide," said Dr. Hilary Coon, lead author of the study.
"But we hope these discoveries will lead us to highly susceptible individuals so that we can develop better interventions to help them bypass this risk."
Among the genes involved, one of them – APH1B – would be linked to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a possible link between brain disease and the risk of suicide.
The DNA samples used were taken from distant relatives of 43 different families over nine generations in Utah.
The researchers stated that this meant that they could examine people with a similar DNA but in a different environment. Thus, two members could have a very similar genetics but would not both be affected by the same events in the family, for example.
In addition to the four genes identified in the study, 18 of the 207 genes selected by researchers have already been associated with the risk of suicide of a person in previous studies.
And 15 of them have been linked to inflammatory health problems, which means that there could be a connection between these and the risk of suicide.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, killing 44,000 people a year.
In the United Kingdom, suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 5 to 49 and for women aged 5 to 34 years.
"Previous studies on families and twins have taught us that there is a significant genetic risk associated with suicide," said Dr. Douglas Gray, lead author of the journal.
"Genes are like plans. The first step is to find the genes that increase the risk. The identification of specific genes can lead to new treatments for those who suffer. "
Dr. Coon added, "We think these results are just the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to look for other genetic modifications leading to risk. & # 39;
The research was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
This comes after the NHS official said last month that social media companies should be forced to pay a "mental health fee" to solve problems with sites such as Facebook and Instagram.
Simon Stevens, managing director of NHS England, says that a financial contribution from social media sites would help to "stem the flow of mental health problems" in the UK.
For confidential support, call the Samaritans at 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, visit www.samaritans.org for more details.
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