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Suicides increased in nine European countries after the start of the global economic crisis, a study reported in the July 9 The Lancet indicated. This researchers suggested that the crisis was a major causative factor in the suicides.
But it often takes not just a stressor, such as an economic crisis, but also mental illness to trigger suicidal behavior, scientists have found. Indeed, it looks as if a large percentage of suicide attempts--60 percent--can be attributed to four mental disorders--major depression, borderline personality disorder, nicotine dependence, and postraumatic stress disorder, researchers recently reported. For more information on this study, see Psychiatric News at http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/46/3/16.2.full. And researchers are finding more and more evidence that genes contribute to suicidal behavior as well. For more information on this topic, see Psychiatric News at http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/46/10/20.2.full