Combined risk of bipolar disorder and traumatic stress increases suicide risk

A new study from an international team of researchers has revealed that traumatic stress and genetic risk for bipolar disorder (BD) can interact to increase the risk of suicide attempts. Suicide is a leading cause of death in teenagers, with risk increasing from age 14 to 20. BD, a heritable psychiatric condition, is associated with suicide risk and a low ratio of suicide attempts to deaths compared with other populations. The study analyzed data from 307 adolescents who were offspring or relatives of people with BD, and 166 controls. The data were collected from sites in the USA and Australia...