Project Summary

Holly C. Wilcox, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2005) of Johns Hopkins University, plans to study the impact of parental suicide on offspring. The first aim of the project is to estimate the influence of parental death by suicide, as compared to other types of parental death, on serious mental disorders, violent criminal convictions and suicidal behaviors in offspring. The second aim is to estimate the extent to which suicide by a parent, independent of parent’s serious mental disorders or violent criminal convictions, increases risk of serious mental disorders, violent criminal convictions and suicidal behavior in offspring. Dr. Wilcox will perform the study by linking and analyzing data from several Swedish population-based registries. Because suicide is rare, and the national registers are large and population-based, Dr. Wilcox hopes this study can clarify a number of critical issues involving the familial-genetic transmission of suicide.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar Depression\Suicide

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