Department of Psychology, Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany.
Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2020 Dec;50(6):1121-1126. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12660. Epub 2020 Jul 24.
According to the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide, capability for suicide comprises two dimensions: fearlessness about death and elevated pain tolerance. The short (S) allelic variant of the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has repeatedly been associated with more violent and lethal suicide methods and lethality of suicide attempts. The current study aimed to investigate whether 5-HTTLPR allelic variants are associated with fearlessness about death and pain tolerance/persistence and whether it moderates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and acquired capability for suicide.
A cohort of 208 inpatients hospitalized due to a recent suicide attempt or severe suicidal ideation was genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR and assessed for childhood maltreatment. Subjective pain tolerance and fearlessness about death as well as objective pain persistence was assessed using a pressure algometer.
Fearlessness about death, pain tolerance, and pain persistence did not differ between 5-HTTLPR genotypes. However, there was a significant correlation between self-reported childhood maltreatment and fearlessness about death that emerged exclusively in homozygous S-allele carriers.
Results suggest that there are no "high-risk"-alleles that generally increase capability for suicide. However, in terms of future suicide-related behaviors exposure to childhood maltreatment events could exert a particularly negative influence on homozygous S-allele carriers by increasing their fearlessness about death.
根据自杀的人际关系心理理论，自杀能力包括两个维度：不怕死和疼痛耐受力高。5-羟色胺转运体基因连锁多态区（5-HTTLPR）的短（S）等位基因变体与更暴力和致命的自杀方法以及自杀未遂的致命性反复相关。本研究旨在调查 5-HTTLPR 等位基因变体是否与不怕死和疼痛耐受力/持久性有关，以及是否会调节儿童期虐待与后天获得的自杀能力之间的关系。
对 208 名因最近自杀未遂或严重自杀意念住院的住院患者进行 5-HTTLPR 基因分型，并评估儿童期虐待情况。使用压力测痛计评估主观疼痛耐受力和不怕死以及客观疼痛持续性。
5-HTTLPR 基因型之间的不怕死、疼痛耐受力和疼痛持续性没有差异。然而，在纯合子 S 等位基因携带者中，自我报告的儿童期虐待与不怕死之间存在显著相关性。
结果表明，没有“高风险”等位基因普遍增加自杀能力。然而，就未来的自杀相关行为而言，儿童期虐待事件的暴露可能会通过增加纯合子 S 等位基因携带者的不怕死来对他们产生特别负面的影响。
