© LISA CLARK
Scientists have identified several key neurobiological pathways with ties to suicidal behaviors. Research in the field addresses only a fraction of the complexity of this serious public health problem, and the literature on the topic is complicated by variation in study design, but the clues point to several interacting moderators of suicide risk. Three of the systems best-studied in relation to suicide are depicted below.
Many studies have linked suicidal behaviors to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and other mediators of the body’s responses to stress.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) has been found in higher concentrations in the brains of people who die by suicide.
People who die by suicide, and particularly those who die by violent means, may have enlarged adrenal glands.
Basal cortisol levels have been found to be both higher and lower than normal in people who have attempted suicide. The reactivity of cortisol ...
