The men's mental health perspective on adolescent suicide in the COVID-19 era

The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the profile of suicide cases involving substances in a state Brazil: an analysis of a 6-year period

This article aimed to analyze the epidemiological and toxicological profile of died of suicides in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, over a period of 6 years, and understand how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced it. A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive, and retrospective study was conducted based on the suicide cases registered in the Scientific Police of Santa Catarina over six years. A total of 3,557 cases were analyzed, with small variations being observed between the years in question. The victims were predominantly male (79.73%) and adults, most of whom were aged 50 to 59 (14.76%). In 43.18% of cases, at least one psychoactive substance was identified, with antidepressants (20.65%), anxiolytics (18.48%), and cocaine (13.35%) standing out. In most cases (72.52%), the alcohol concentration was less than 1 dg/L. The use of medication, drugs, and alcohol before suicide was more prevalent in women (p < 0.05), whereas cocaine was more prevalent among men (p < 0.05). The data characterize the epidemiological profile of suicide victims, in addition to demonstrating the low variations in the number of suicides comparing the year with the COVID-19 Pandemic and without a pandemic, in the short term.

Increasing depression and suicidality among American adolescent girls: Current findings, associated factors, and implications

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Data Summary & Trends Report for 2011-2021 released in February 2023 showed higher rates among female high school students relative to their male peers in endorsements of experiencing poor mental health. This review provides a developmental orientation to promote a biopsychosocial conceptualization of these recent national findings. Young women have higher rates of depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and suicidal plans relative to men, and this gender discrepancy is widening. Higher rates of endorsed school and electronic bullying, social media use, substance use, sexual victimization, and school safety concerns among young women are considered in relation to their sex-specific impact. Recommendations for clinicians are offered to improve the awareness of these important factors and to guide tailored interventions.

PPAR-α Hypermethylation in the Hippocampus of Mice Exposed to Social Isolation Stress Is Associated with Enhanced Neuroinflammation and Aggressive Behavior

Social behavioral changes, including social isolation or loneliness, increase the risk for stress-related disorders, such as major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide, which share a strong neuroinflammatory etiopathogenetic component. The peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α, a newly discovered target involved in emotional behavior regulation, is a ligand-activated nuclear receptor and a transcription factor that, following stimulation by endogenous or synthetic ligands, may induce neuroprotective effects by modulating neuroinflammation, and improve anxiety and depression-like behaviors by enhancing neurosteroid biosynthesis. How stress affects epigenetic mechanisms with downstream effects on inflammation and emotional behavior remains poorly understood. We studied the effects of 4-week social isolation, using a mouse model of PTSD/suicide-like behavior, on hippocampal PPAR-α epigenetic modification. Decreased PPAR-α expression in the hippocampus of socially isolated mice was associated with increased levels of methylated cytosines of PPAR-α gene CpG-rich fragments and deficient neurosteroid biosynthesis. This effect was associated with increased histone deacetylases (HDAC)1, methyl-cytosine binding protein (MeCP)2 and decreased ten-eleven translocator (TET)2 expression, which favor hypermethylation. These alterations were associated with increased TLR-4 and pro-inflammatory markers (e.g., TNF-α,), mediated by NF-κB signaling in the hippocampus of aggressive mice. This study contributes the first evidence of stress-induced brain PPAR-α epigenetic regulation. Social isolation stress may constitute a risk factor for inflammatory-based psychiatric disorders associated with neurosteroid deficits, and targeting epigenetic marks linked to PPAR-α downregulation may offer a valid therapeutic approach.