Clinical and Genetic Risk Factors for Suicide Under the Influence of Alcohol in a Polish Sample

This study examined clinical & genetic risk factors for alcohol-related suicide. Data on 162 Polish suicide victims were obtained. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms in the central serotonin system & the renin-angiotensin system related genes previously found to be associated with suicide, alcohol dependence or depression were genotyped. The strongest predictor of suicide under the influence of alcohol was alcohol dependence. Those who did not drink alcohol before suicide were more likely to have a diagnosis of major depressive disorder in their medical record & more often had the TT genotype of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 gene. (46 refs.) JA