You are seeing this message because your Web browser does not support basic Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing and what you can do to make your experience on this site better.


ABOUT ARCHIVES
Advanced Search

Welcome   | My Account | E-mail Alerts | Access Rights | Sign In


  Vol. 59 No. 9, September 2002 TABLE OF CONTENTS
  Archives
  •  Online Features
  Original Article
 This Article
 •Full text
 •PDF
 • Reply to article
 •Send to a friend
 • Save in My Folder
 •Save to citation manager
 •Permissions
 Citing Articles
 •Citation map
 •Citing articles on HighWire
 •Citing articles on ISI (82)
 •Contact me when this article is cited
 Related Content
 •Similar articles in this journal
 Topic Collections
 •Mood Disorders
 •Suicide
 •Alert me on articles by topic

Familial Pathways to Early-Onset Suicide Attempt

Risk for Suicidal Behavior in Offspring of Mood-Disordered Suicide Attempters

David A. Brent, MD; Maria Oquendo, MD; Boris Birmaher, MD; Laurence Greenhill, MD; David Kolko, PhD; Barbara Stanley, PhD; Jamie Zelazny, BSN; Beth Brodsky, PhD; Jeffrey Bridge, PhD; Steve Ellis, PhD; J. Octavio Salazar, MD; J. John Mann, MD

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2002;59:801-807.

Background  Although adoption, twin, and family studies have shown that suicidal behavior is familial, the risk factors for familial transmission from parent to child remain unclear.

Methods  A high-risk family study was conducted comparing the offspring of 2 mood-disordered groups: suicide attempters and nonattempters. Recruited from 2 sites, probands were 81 attempters and 55 nonattempters, with 183 and 116 offspring, respectively. Offspring were assessed by investigators masked to proband status. Probands and offspring were assessed with respect to psychopathologic findings, suicide attempt history, impulsive aggression, and exposure to familial environmental stressors.

Results  Offspring of attempters had a 6-fold increased risk of suicide attempts relative to offspring of nonattempters. Familial transmission of suicide attempt was more likely if (1) probands had a history of sexual abuse and (2) offspring were female and had a mood disorder, substance abuse disorder, increased impulsive aggression, and a history of sexual abuse.

Conclusions  The offspring of mood-disordered suicide attempters are at markedly increased risk for suicide attempts themselves. Familial transmission of suicidal behavior in families with mood disorders almost always requires transmission of a mood disorder and is also related to the offspring's impulsive aggression and the familial transmission of sexual abuse. Early treatment of mood disorders and targeting impulsive aggression and sexual trauma may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of suicidal behavior in families with mood disorders.


From the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (Drs Brent, Birmaher, Kolko, and Bridge and Ms Zelazny) and St Francis Medical Center (Dr Salazar), Pittsburgh, Pa; and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City (Drs Oquendo, Greenhill, Stanley, Brodsky, Ellis, and Mann).



THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

A Developmental Perspective on the Controversy Surrounding the Use of SSRIs to Treat Pediatric Depression
Leckman and King
Am. J. Psychiatry 2007;164:1304-1306.
FULL TEXT  

Familial Pathways to Early-Onset Suicidal Behavior: Familial and Individual Antecedents of Suicidal Behavior
Melhem et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2007;164:1364-1370.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

What Have We Learned About the Neurobiology of Major Depression?
Oquendo and Parsey
Am. J. Psychiatry 2007;164:540-542.
FULL TEXT  

Death by Unnatural Causes During Childhood and Early Adulthood in Offspring of Psychiatric Inpatients
Webb et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007;64:345-352.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Role of Psychosocial Stress in the Onset and Progression of Bipolar Disorder and its Comorbidities: The Need for Earlier and Alternative Modes of Therapeutic Intervention
Post and Leverich
Focus 2007;5:73-97.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Sex Differences in Clinical Predictors of Suicidal Acts After Major Depression: A Prospective Study
Oquendo et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2007;164:134-141.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mortality Risk Among Offspring of Psychiatric Inpatients: A Population-Based Follow-Up to Early Adulthood
Webb et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2006;163:2170-2177.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Implication of SSAT by Gene Expression and Genetic Variation in Suicide and Major Depression
Sequeira et al.
Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006;63:35-48.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Maternal Suicidality and Risk of Suicidality in Offspring: Findings From a Community Study
Lieb et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:1665-1671.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Family History of Suicidal Behavior and Mood Disorders in Probands With Mood Disorders
Mann et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:1672-1679.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Mortality in Offspring of Parents With Psychotic Disorders: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis
Webb et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:1045-1056.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Familial Aggregation of Suicidal Behavior: A Family Study of Male Suicide Completers From the General Population
Kim et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:1017-1019.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Correlates and Predictors of Self-Reported Suicide Attempts Among Incarcerated Youths
Putnins
Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol 2005;49:143-157.
ABSTRACT  

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Comorbid With Major Depression: Factors Mediating the Association With Suicidal Behavior
Oquendo et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162:560-566.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Prospective Study of Clinical Predictors of Suicidal Acts After a Major Depressive Episode in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder
Oquendo et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2004;161:1433-1441.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Peripubertal Suicide Attempts in Offspring of Suicide Attempters With Siblings Concordant for Suicidal Behavior
Brent et al.
Am. J. Psychiatry 2003;160:1486-1493.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Familial Risk for Suicide
JWatch Psychiatry 2002;2002:9-9.
FULL TEXT  

Researchers Find Answers To Familial-Suicide Puzzle
Arehart-Treichel
Psychiatr. News 2002;37:33-33.
FULL TEXT  





HOME | CURRENT ISSUE | PAST ISSUES | TOPIC COLLECTIONS | SUBMIT | SUBSCRIBE | HELP
CONDITIONS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE MAP
 
© 2002 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.