title: Serum cholesterol, suicidal tendencies, impulsivity, aggression, and depression in adolescent psychiatric inpatients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was undertaken to examine the relationship between serum cholesterol levels and suicidal behaviors in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Any association between serum cholesterol and measures of suicidal behavior, impulsivity, aggression, anxiety, and depression was also examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive admissions (n = 152) to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit were assessed using measures of suicidal behavior, violence, impulsivity, and depression. Serum cholesterol was compared between those admitted for reasons of suicidal tendencies and those for other reasons. Correlation between serum cholesterol and measures of suicidal behavior, violence, impulsivity, and depression were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum cholesterol levels were significantly higher in adolescent patients who were currently suicidal than in nonsuicidal adolescents. Within the suicidal group, but not in the total inpatient group, serum cholesterol correlated negatively with the degree of suicidal behavior. No correlation between serum cholesterol levels and depression, violence, and impulsivity were detected. No significant differences were found in serum cholesterol levels between diagnoses or between suicidal and nonsuicidal patients within each diagnostic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between cholesterol and suicidal tendencies remains complex and may depend on several variables within the population studied. Its usefulness as a biologic risk factor in clinical samples remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Geha Psychiatric Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apter
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bar-Sever
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Har-Even
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ofek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol