Scientists have recently found hundred of genetic links in family members who have committed suicide. So far, there are four specific ones that seem to run across family members who have done so, with hundreds more to study. 207 to be exact. Dailymail reported:
Researchers from the University of Utah made the discovery by looking at the DNA of 1,300 people who had killed themselves in the state.
They found changes to certain genes – named SP110, AGBL2, SUCLA2 and APH1B – were found more often in people who had killed themselves than in other people.
As well as those four genes, there are another 207 which 'warrant further analysis,' the researchers said.
So it has already been suggested that suicidal tendencies run in a family. From experience I can say it is accurate as depression has run in my family for several generations. Usually, all having similar patterns of trying to fill their lives with things over people, closing off from the majority of the world. The study goes on to say:
Of the genes involved, one of them – APH1B – is believed to be linked to Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a possible link between the brain disease and suicide risk.
The DNA samples used were taken from distant relatives in 43 different families over nine generations in Utah.
This, the researchers said, meant they could examine people with similar DNA but different surroundings – so two members might have very similar genetics but not both be affected by the same events in the family, for example.
As well as the four genes identified in the study, 18 of the genes out of the 207 picked out by the researchers have already been linked to a person's risk of suicide in past studies.
And 15 of them have been linked to inflammatory health conditions, meaning there could be a link between those and suicide risk.
Suicide is a serious issue, not just in the US, around the world, a study from WHO back in 2011 indicated that at least 1 MILLION people take their own lives each year. That's one death every 40 seconds, or 3,000 a day! And men are more likely to do it than women! 3.53x more men take their lives than women do! You can't tell me that suicide or depression aren't serious illnesses! Statistics from AFSP in 2016 show some chilling graphs just for the US!
Each colored line representing a single state Source
In 2018, the United States is #27 for suicide rates. Below countries like Switzerland (#18), France (#17), Japan (#14), Russia (#2) and Lithuania (#1).
The more that people learn about suicide and depression, the more steps can be taken to help people who struggle with either. It's more than a state of mind, it's a real illness.
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