Exploring the relationship between Vitamin D and suicidal behaviour
Supervisors:
PhD Project Summary:
Suicidal behaviour (including ideation, attempts and death) results from a complex, multifaceted interaction of factors across the life course, ranging from the biological to the social and cultural. The contribution of biological factors to the risk of suicide and related behaviours, as well as their interaction with other non-biological risk factors is not well-understood. Seasonal and geographic patterns in suicidal behaviour have long been recognised, with increased suicidal behaviour observed in northern latitudes, such as Scotland and Scandinavia, and people born during spring-summer months.
This has led to interest in the potential for vitamin D to play a role in the pathophysiology of suicidal behaviours [1], as the main source of vitamin D is sunlight. This project aims to enhance understanding of the role of vitamin D in suicidal behaviour by combining and analysing a range of biological, social and environmental data. Specifically, it will involve both statistical genetics and epidemiological approaches to investigate vitamin D as a potential causal risk factor in the range of suicidal behaviours. This will help to inform the development of interventions to prevent deaths due to suicide and contribute to increased understanding of the biological factors which may contribute to risk of suicide.