Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review

Introduction: Suicide is a significant public health concern, and mental illnesses are among the prominent risk factors. In the pursuit of early detection of suicidal behaviors, various predictive markers have been studied in psychiatric populations. Objectives: To present a narrative review of bio...

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Main Authors: Cárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago, Vera Henao, Sebastián, García Valencia, Jenny, López Jaramillo, Carlos
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2025-07-01
Series:Iatreia
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Online Access:https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/iatreia/article/view/355638
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author Cárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago
Vera Henao, Sebastián
García Valencia, Jenny
López Jaramillo, Carlos
author_facet Cárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago
Vera Henao, Sebastián
García Valencia, Jenny
López Jaramillo, Carlos
author_sort Cárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Suicide is a significant public health concern, and mental illnesses are among the prominent risk factors. In the pursuit of early detection of suicidal behaviors, various predictive markers have been studied in psychiatric populations. Objectives: To present a narrative review of biological markers associated with suicide. Methodology: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, SCIELO, Science Direct, and EMBASE databases. The search terms included ‘severe mental illness’, ‘bipolar affective disorder’, ‘major depression’, ‘schizophrenia’, ‘suicide’, and ‘markers’. Studies in both Spanish and English were considered, and articles available up to August 2023 were included, regardless of study design. Articles related to other mental illnesses were excluded. Results: The biological markers most extensively studied in relation to suicidal behaviors in severe mental illness are monoamine systems and systemic inflammatory molecules. Genetic markers, particularly those associated with serotonin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, have also gained significance in recent years. Conclusions: There has been notable research on biological markers in relation to suicidal behavior in populations with severe mental illness. However, further investigation into other pathophysiological mechanisms of suicide is needed.
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Universidad de Antioquia
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series Iatreia
spelling doaj-art-fb87ab69bf854b458eb5962c9584f4f12025-08-20T03:32:36ZspaUniversidad de AntioquiaIatreia0121-07932011-79652025-07-0138345946910.17533/udea.iatreia.296Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative ReviewCárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4570-9609Vera Henao, Sebastián1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7614-6450García Valencia, Jenny2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9998-5318López Jaramillo, Carlos3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1875-1369Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, ColombiaUniversidad de Antioquia, Medellín, ColombiaUniversidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, ColombiaUniversidad de Antioquia, Medellín, ColombiaIntroduction: Suicide is a significant public health concern, and mental illnesses are among the prominent risk factors. In the pursuit of early detection of suicidal behaviors, various predictive markers have been studied in psychiatric populations. Objectives: To present a narrative review of biological markers associated with suicide. Methodology: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, SCIELO, Science Direct, and EMBASE databases. The search terms included ‘severe mental illness’, ‘bipolar affective disorder’, ‘major depression’, ‘schizophrenia’, ‘suicide’, and ‘markers’. Studies in both Spanish and English were considered, and articles available up to August 2023 were included, regardless of study design. Articles related to other mental illnesses were excluded. Results: The biological markers most extensively studied in relation to suicidal behaviors in severe mental illness are monoamine systems and systemic inflammatory molecules. Genetic markers, particularly those associated with serotonin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, have also gained significance in recent years. Conclusions: There has been notable research on biological markers in relation to suicidal behavior in populations with severe mental illness. However, further investigation into other pathophysiological mechanisms of suicide is needed.https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/iatreia/article/view/355638biomarkersbipolar disorderdepressionschizophreniasuicide
spellingShingle Cárdenas Urbano, Rafael Santiago
Vera Henao, Sebastián
García Valencia, Jenny
López Jaramillo, Carlos
Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
Iatreia
biomarkers
bipolar disorder
depression
schizophrenia
suicide
title Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
title_full Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
title_fullStr Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
title_full_unstemmed Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
title_short Biological Markers of Suicidal Behavior in Patients with Severe Mental Illness: A Narrative Review
title_sort biological markers of suicidal behavior in patients with severe mental illness a narrative review
topic biomarkers
bipolar disorder
depression
schizophrenia
suicide
url https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/iatreia/article/view/355638
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