Epigenetic Effects of Childhood Adversity in the Brain and Suicide Risk

With prevalence estimates ranging between 6.4% and 10.1% [1-5], major depression ranks ”rst among the most signi”cant causes of disability and premature death, thus imposing a continual economic burden on society. For instance, in the United States, the direct and indirect costs are estimated at U.S.$44 billion/year [6]. The greatest loss to our society, however, is the associated mortality by suicide related to major depression. Indeed, it has been estimated that between 50% and 70% of suicide completers will die during an episode of major depression [7,8] and prospective followup studies of major depression suggest that between 7% and 15% of these patients will die by suicide [9-12].