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Genetic correlations between suicide attempts and psychiatric and intermediate phenotypes adjusting for mental disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2023

Daisuke Fujikane ,
Kazutaka Ohi Open the ORCID record for Kazutaka Ohi [Opens in a new window] ,
Ayumi Kuramitsu ,
Kentaro Takai ,
Yukimasa Muto ,
Shunsuke Sugiyama  and
Toshiki Shioiri
Daisuke Fujikane
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Kazutaka Ohi*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan Department of General Internal Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan
Ayumi Kuramitsu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Kentaro Takai
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Yukimasa Muto
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Shunsuke Sugiyama
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Toshiki Shioiri
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
*
Corresponding author: Kazutaka Ohi; Email: k_ohi@gifu-u.ac.jp
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Abstract

Background

Suicide attempts are a moderately heritable trait, and genetic correlations with psychiatric and related intermediate phenotypes have been reported. However, as several mental disorders as well as major depressive disorder (MDD) are strongly associated with suicide attempts, these genetic correlations could be mediated by psychiatric disorders. Here, we investigated genetic correlations of suicide attempts with psychiatric and related intermediate phenotypes, with and without adjusting for mental disorders.

Methods

To investigate the genetic correlations, we utilized large-scale genome-wide association study summary statistics for suicide attempts (with and without adjusting for mental disorders), nine psychiatric disorders, and 15 intermediate phenotypes.

Results

Without adjusting for mental disorders, suicide attempts had significant positive genetic correlations with risks of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, MDD, anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder; higher risk tolerance; earlier age at first sexual intercourse, at first birth and at menopause; higher parity; lower childhood IQ, educational attainment and cognitive ability; and lower smoking cessation. After adjusting for mental disorders, suicide attempts had significant positive genetic correlations with the risk of MDD; earlier age at first sexual intercourse, at first birth and at menopause; and lower educational attainment. After adjusting for mental disorders, most of the genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders were decreased, while several genetic correlations with intermediate phenotypes were increased.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the importance of considering mental disorders in the analysis of genetic correlations related to suicide attempts and suggest that susceptibility to MDD, reproductive behaviors, and lower educational levels share a genetic basis with suicide attempts after adjusting for mental disorders.

Keywords

Depressioneducational attainmentgenetic correlationreproductive behaviorssuicide attempts
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 54 , Issue 3 , February 2024 , pp. 488 - 494
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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