Increased Serotonin After a Suicide Attempt: Coincidence or Catharsis?

This case report suggests that whole blood serotonin levels may be related to mental states of schizoaffective patients. The clinical assessment of symptoms in a 42-year-old female patient was compared with the biological findings before & after a suicide attempt. The authors argue that the simultaneous rise of whole blood serotonin after the suicide attempt can be regarded as a somatic expression of a cathartic effect. (9 refs)