ABSTRACT
Suicide is a major public health concern. Almost 30,000 people die of suicide each year in the United States, and 1 million people die worldwide. In the teenage population, it is the second leading cause of death. Early identi”cation of suicidal behavior is crucial for its treatment and the prevention of completed suicide. Chemical, behavioral, and psychological risk factors are important in identifying these patients; however, many times they produce a false positive or a false negative diagnosis. Several studies suggest that abnormal biology may be a risk factor for suicidal behavior. Therefore, a combination of biological factors with psychosocial factors might more accurately predict suicidal behavior and identify suicidal patients. It is thus important to develop biomarkers for suicidal behavior. A useful biomarker should not only re›ect the psychopathology, in this case suicidal behavior, but it should also be measured in a noninvasive manner.
