title: Neuroactive steroids and suicidality in posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies suggest that neuroactive steroids may be altered in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since high rates of suicidality accompany PTSD, the authors investigated neuroactive steroid levels and correlations to suicide attempts in veterans with this disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male veterans with PTSD enrolled in a larger study during inpatient hospitalization (N=130) were assessed for suicidal ideation or suicide attempt in the last 6 months. Serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol were determined. The authors investigated associations between neuroactive steroids and suicidality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High rates of suicidality were observed. Close to 70% of these patients had suicidal thoughts, and 25% had attempted suicide in the last 6 months. Patients who had attempted suicide demonstrated significantly higher median DHEA levels than those who had not attempted suicide (15.6 versus 8.3 ng/ml), an association that persisted after adjustment for age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that higher DHEA levels may be linked to suicidality in veterans with PTSD and may be associated with the risk of self-harm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham Veterans Affairs medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
authors.forename: Marian I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Butterfield
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Stechuchak
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Jonathan R T
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Chungsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Courteney L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: MacKuen
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pearlstein
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Marx
mesh_terms: D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D004958:Estradiol