title: Suicidal behavior in surviving co-twins.
abstract: Recent research has provided strong support for the existence of a familial risk for suicide, and efforts have been made to separate genetic from enviromental risk factors. Twin studies have played a major role in the identification of genetic factors, and the results indicate that the concordance rate for suicide is higher in identical than in fraternal twins (Baldessarini & Hennen, 2004). Moreover, Segal and Roy (1995) reported a significantly higher frequency of nonfatal suicidal attempts by monozygotic (MZ) than by dyzygotic (DZ) twins whose co-twins had committed suicide. However, doubts remain as to whether the increased risk of suicide in MZ twins is a response to the intense grief over the loss of a close relative, or whether a common genotype is associated with suicidal behavior. Sudden loss, which may carry a stigma in the case of a suicide, has been linked to increased persistent emotional stress and physiological changes (Epstein, 1993; Martin & Dean, 1993). A number of researchers have reported greater suicidal ideation among bereaved MZ twins as compared to DZ twins, suggesting that a loss due to suicide may increase the risk of suicidal behavior in the surviving co-twin (Segal & Bouchard, 1993; Segal & Roy, 1995; Segal et al., 1995). The aim of the present article is to address the issue of the intense grief experienced by twins after the co-twin suicide.
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, usa. maurizio.pompili@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Piera Maria
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Galeandro
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tatarelli
mesh_terms: D005824:Genetics, Behavioral; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology*