Suicide as an Inflammatory Process: A CRP-based Case-control Study

Abstract

Introduction:The number of suicide attempts and related deaths among adolescents is increasing every day. Although suicide presents a problem for the general population, it is a more serious problem for those with psychiatric diseases. Previous studies demonstrated the association between inflammation and psychiatric disease. Thus, we aim to investigate the relationship between adolescent suicide attempts and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein (CRP).Methods:This research was designed as a case-control study. The study population consisted of patients who been admitted to the pediatric emergency department between 01.03.2016 and 01.03.2019 following a suicide attempt. Healthy volunteers of similar age and gender characteristics who had been admitted to the pediatric clinic for routine examination were also recruited. The groups were compared in terms of demographic and clinical features and serum CRP levels.Results:A total of 239 patients (108 patients and 131 controls) were included in the study. No difference in terms of demographic data was noted between the groups. The serum CRP levels of the control and suicide groups were 1.5±1.5 and 12.7±6.4 mg/L, respectively (p<0.01). The mean serum CRP levels of cases with and without psychiatric disorders were 14.3±4.2 and 9.7±2.7 mg/L, respectively (p=0.03).Conclusion:Levels of CRP, a strong inflammatory marker, were higher in patients who had attempted suicide than in those who had not. CRP levels were also higher in patients with a psychiatric disease than in those without.

Keywords

• suicide
• inflammation
• crp