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Surname study of suicide in Austria: Differences in regional suicide rates correspond to the genetic structure of the population

Familiennamenbasierte Analyse von Suiziden in Österreich: Regionale Unterschiede in der Suizidrate korrespondieren zur genetischen Struktur der Bevölkerung

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Zusammenfassung

HINTERGRUND: Übereinstimmende Befunde aus Familien-, Adoptions-, Migranten- und Zwillingsstudien, geografischen und molekulargenetischen sowie jüngst auch familiennamenbasierten Studien legen eine Beteiligung genetischer Risikofaktoren für Suizid nahe. Familiennamen informieren über genetische Nähe versus Distanz und sind (in patrilinearen Namenssystemen) ein brauchbarer Ersatz für Marker und Haplotypen des Y-Chromosoms, da der Familienname wie der nicht-rekombinierende Teil des Y-Chromosoms vererbt wird. In der vorliegenden familiennamenbasierten Studie wurde die Korrespondenz regionaler Unterschiede in der Suizidrate zur genetischen Struktur der Bevölkerung Österreichs untersucht. METHODEN: Unterschiede in den bezirksweisen standardisierten Suizidraten (1988–94) zwischen den fünf großen Familiennamenregionen Österreichs wurden analysiert. Diese Namensregionen spiegeln die gegenwärtige genetische Bevölkerungsstruktur wider, folgen den natürlichen (topografischen) Grenzen innerhalb Österreichs, jedoch in geringerem Ausmaß der administrativen Unterteilung des Landes in neun Bundesländer. ERGEBNISSE: Den suizidratenbezogenen Unterschieden zwischen den Familiennamenregionen war ein statistisch signifikanter (P < 0.001) und bedeutsamer (38%) Anteil der Varianz in den bezirksweisen Suizidraten zuzuschreiben. Eine weitergehende Analyse, unter Verwendung von statistisch adjustierten Suizidraten (für fünf sozioökonomische Indikatoren, welche als wichtige regionale Einflussfaktoren für Suizidraten gelten: Einkommen, Scheidungs- und Arbeitslosenrate, Anteil der Älteren und der Römisch-Katholischen an der Bevölkerung), erbrachte gleichlautende Ergebnisse. SCHLUSSFOLGERUNG: Regionale Unterschiede in der Suizidrate korrespondieren mit der genetischen Struktur der Bevölkerung in Österreich. Dieser Befund stützt ähnliche Ergebnisse aus geografischen und familiennamenbasierten Studien zur Suizidepidemiologie weiter ab und legt eine Beteiligung genetischer Risikofaktoren für Suizid nahe. Zu geografischen (regionalen) Unterschieden im Suizidaufkommen tragen vermutlich auch genetische Unterschiede zwischen Bevölkerungsgruppen bei. Studienmängel sowie Wege für künftige Forschung in diesem Bereich werden diskutiert.

Summary

OBJECTIVES: There is convergent evidence from adoption, family, geographical, immigrant, molecular genetic, twin and, most recently, surname studies of suicide for genetic contributions to suicide risk. Surnames carry information about genetic relatedness or distance and, in patrilineal surname systems, are a close substitute for Y-chromosome markers and haplotypes, since surname transmission is similar to the transmission of the nonrecombining part of the Y chromosome. This study investigated whether differences in regional suicide rates correspond to the genetic structure of the Austrian population. METHODS: Differences in district-level standardized suicide rates 1988–94 between the five major surname regions identified for Austria were analyzed. The surname regions used in the analysis reflect the contemporary population structure and closely follow the natural borders found in the topography of Austria, less so its administrative division into nine states. RESULTS: Surname region accounted for a significant (P < 0.001) and substantial (38%) portion of the variance in district-level suicide rates. Adjusting the suicide rates for a set of five social and economic indicators that are established ecological correlates of suicide prevalence (income, and rates of the divorced, unemployed, elderly and Roman Catholics) left the results essentially unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Regional differences in suicide rates within Austria correspond to the genetic structure of the population. The present evidence adds to related findings from geographical and surname studies of suicide that suggest a role for genetic risk factors for suicidal behavior. Genetic differences between subpopulations may partially account for the geography of suicide. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Martin Voracek

  2. Department of Medical Psychology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Gernot Sonneck

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  1. Martin Voracek
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  2. Gernot Sonneck
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Correspondence to Martin Voracek.

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Voracek, M., Sonneck, G. Surname study of suicide in Austria: Differences in regional suicide rates correspond to the genetic structure of the population. Wien Klin Wochenschr 119, 355–360 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-007-0787-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-007-0787-2

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