Suicide in the Family

With the recent death of Sylvia Plath’s son, the question of inherited suicide has been once again raised in the news. A recent article at CNN says that a “first-degree relative — a parent, sibling or child — of a person who has committed suicide is four to six times more likely to attempt or complete a suicide” themselves.

One reason for this could have to do with thinning of the right cortex of the brain. This thinning could be one reason why certain people are able to adapt more easily to emotional events than others. It’s also one reason depression is hereditary.

Research has changed quite a bit since even the time when Sylvia Plath experienced depression (and wrote about it in her novel, The Bell Jar.)  . The increased knowledge we have today may mean that treatment for people more prone to depression can be targeted and therefore more effective.

Image: Barnes and Noble.com.