Past Issues

Suicide is one of the serious public health problems worldwide. Moreover, suicidal ideation seems as a risk factor for attempted and completed suicidal behaviors. It seems that number of different proximal precipitating and distal predisposing risk factors, which include genetic backgrounds, personal characteristics, parental attachment and mental health problems, are associated with increased rates of suicide. The pathway from genes to mental health problems and suicidal behavior are complex and probabilistic. The aim of this overview is to provide a clear protocol for genetics, diathesis, psychopathology, and resilience in suicidal behavior. In this review article, I will assess relevant research articles dealing with direct and deterministic ways from genetic backgrounds, personal characteristics, mental health to suicidality (ideation, plans, attempts and completions) in struc-tural equation modeling. Combining with my own data, I also explored the natural course of the path effect, current effect, and the regression in each contributing factor, using structural equation modeling. I first introduce the concept of stress-diathesis of suicide; then, discuss the relationship between genetics, gene-environ-ment interactions, parental bonding, personality characteristics, and resilience in suicidality. Issues associated with the relationship between genetic backgrounds, parental bonding, personality characteristics and resilience, and its interaction between nature and nurture in suicidality, have not yet settled. But these research findings should improve understanding of the critical ingredients and their differential impact on various at-risk subgroups, and help with effective prevention and intervention in the future.