If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day in the U.S. by calling or texting 988.
Suicide is one of the most urgent and complex mental health challenges facing families and communities. It is often linked to depression, and for many, depression is an important part of the story. However, emerging research suggests it is not the whole story. Some people who die by suicide have no known history of depression, prior suicide attempts, or obvious warning signs. This raises an important question: What else may contribute to suicide risk, and how can that knowledge help save lives?
At Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Dr. Hilary Coon is advancing research into the genetic, biological, and environmental factors that may contribute to suicide mortality. Her work seeks to better understand risks that may not be identified through traditional depression screening.
Recent University of Utah Health research found that many people who die by suicide do not have diagnosed psychiatric risk factors. Instead, they may have distinct genetic risk profiles compared with individuals who have known suicidal thoughts or behaviors. These findings suggest that depression screening alone may not identify everyone at risk.
What Genetics Can Teach Us About Suicide Risk
Genetics do not determine a person’s future. They do not mean suicide is inevitable. They are only one part of a much larger picture that includes:
- Environment
- Life experiences
- Physical health
- Relationships
- Stress
- Trauma
- Access to care
- Broader social conditions
However, genetics may help researchers better understand why some people are more vulnerable than others. Dr. Coon’s work explores genetic risk factors connected to suicide mortality, including how those risks may appear within families and how they may interact with psychiatric, medical, and environmental factors.
Why Utah Is Uniquely Positioned To Advance Suicide Research
Utah offers researchers a rare opportunity to study suicide risk in a deeper way. Through unique genealogical data, scientists can analyze extended families with higher rates of suicide death and look for patterns that may help identify inherited risk factors.
This approach has already supported important discoveries in other areas of medicine, including the discovery of the BRCA1 gene. Today, similar tools are being used to better understand suicide risk.
Dr. Coon’s current and upcoming research also looks beyond psychiatric diagnoses alone. The latest work at the Coon Lab, Utah Suicide Mortality Research Study, focuses on the physiological and mechanistic pathways that may lead to suicide mortality risk. This work includes studying high-risk extended families through Utah genealogical data, as well as subtypes defined by extreme psychiatric risk and dysregulated physiological stress responses.
Hope for More Personalized Prevention
Anna Docherty, PhD, and other Huntsman Mental Health Institute researchers are also helping expand what science can reveal about suicide risk. The largest-ever genetic study of suicide attempts identified 12 DNA variants associated with suicide attempt risk. It uncovers genetic links with factors that influence both physical and behavioral health, including chronic pain, ADHD, smoking, pulmonary conditions, and heart disease.
These findings underscore the discovery that suicide risk cannot be understood through one factor alone. It is shaped by biology, genetics, mental health, physical health, family history, and community conditions. This research serves as the foundation to build a fuller understanding of why suicide happens and how it might be prevented.
Donations to Huntsman Mental Health Foundation fund this incredible lifesaving research. Learn more and donate here.
