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Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt share genetic architecture with sleep regulation-related gene sets

Stratified analyses showed that suicide attempt pairs were enriched for gene sets related to sleep regulation, among other traits. The study used genome-wide association study summary statistics from 15 studies (N=46,350-975,353) and identified shared loci mapping to 798 unique genes.

Last updated: Aug 26, 2026•0 RCTs•📖 Read as article →

Evidence Score

Evidence Score32/100
Human RCT☆☆☆☆☆
Meta-analysis☆☆☆☆☆
Mechanism★★★★★
Safety★★★★☆
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Dissecting the pleiotropic genetic architecture of suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, and thirteen correlated traits.

observational

Martone A, Folego-Temoteo I, Fries GR, Docherty AR, Ashley-Koch AE, Bandeira CE, Grevet EH, Bau CHD, Bralten J, Fabbri C, Serretti A, Fanelli G, Rovaris DL · European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: N/A
Intervention: Genetic association analysis of suicide attempt and suicidal ideation with 13 correlated traits
Outcome: Enrichment of gene sets related to sleep regulation, brain morphology, cognition, neuroticism, body mass index, and gastrointestinal traits
Effect Size: N/A
Population: Participants from 15 genome-wide association studies (total N=46,350-975,353)

Result:

PubMed: 41950637DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2026.112821

Mechanism Graph

Genetic variants associated with suicide attempt and suicidal ideation
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Shared loci identified via conjunctional false discovery rate
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Enrichment in gene sets related to sleep regulation
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Implicates sleep-related biological pathways in suicidal thoughts and behaviors

Limitations

  • ⚠The study is based on summary statistics from GWAS, not individual-level data
  • ⚠Causal relationships cannot be established from genetic correlation analyses alone

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'enriched for gene sets related to sleep regulation' mean?▼

It means that the genetic variants associated with suicide attempt were more likely to be found in genes involved in sleep regulation than expected by chance, suggesting a biological link between sleep and suicide risk.

How was the genetic architecture of suicide analyzed?▼

The researchers used local genetic correlation analysis (LAVA) and conjunctional false discovery rate (conjFDR) to identify shared genetic loci between suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, and 13 other traits.

What other traits were correlated with suicide attempt and ideation?▼

The study examined 13 correlated psychiatric, behavioral, and somatic phenotypes, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, neuroticism, body mass index, and gastrointestinal traits.

Does this study prove that sleep problems cause suicide?▼

No, this study only shows a genetic overlap between suicide-related traits and sleep regulation gene sets. It does not prove causation, and further research is needed to understand the mechanisms.

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References

  1. 1.Martone A, Folego-Temoteo I, Fries GR, Docherty AR, Ashley-Koch AE, Bandeira CE, Grevet EH, Bau CHD, Bralten J, Fabbri C, Serretti A, Fanelli G, Rovaris DL. "Dissecting the pleiotropic genetic architecture of suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, and thirteen correlated traits.." European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2026. PMID: 41950637 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2026.112821
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