A neurosciences based – semiology of suicidal behavior

Abstract

The epidemiology, risk factors and biological basis of suicidal behaviors have been the object of an ever-increasing research in the last three decades. During this period, researchers all over the world have identified potential biomarkers of risk and developed several theories about the mechanisms leading to suicidal behavior. However, the lack of common terminology, instruments and cooperation has been a major deterrent. Today, the community has established the bases for this collaboration and evidence coming from neuroscientific studies can already be applied to the field of suicidology. We present here a potential semiology based on current evidence coming from biological, clinical and neuroimaging studies. Besides suicidal ideation and warning signs, the clinical features related to suicide risk and revealed by neuroscientific studies include notably: impulsive-aggression and hopelessness as well as high web consumption, sedentary behaviors and reduced sleep time, an enhanced sensibility to social exclusion and loneliness, a decreased sensitivity to detect social support, interpersonal problems related to decision-making impairments, difficulties to regulate negative emotional states, a propensity to perceive psychic and also physical pain and to receive opiates treatments. Improving the assessment will also open new targets for suicide prevention. In the short-term, some of these targets await us: standard protocols for evaluation of risk, healthcare continuity, implication of the family/caregivers, mitigation of social or psychological pain.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.