Serotonin and Suicide: a Functional/Dimensional Viewpoint (IN: Current Concepts of Suicide, edited by D Lester)

This chapter traces the evolution of scientific understanding of serotonin (5-HT) disturbances in suicide. A reinterpretation of the data is done employing a functional/dimensional approach. Research suggests that anxiety, suicidality, & violence are highly correlated regardless of diagnostic entity. However, a question remains of whether a correlation between serotonin & suicidality is real, or whether it is a derivative of an underlying relationship between serotonin dysfunction & anxiety.