Internet and Psychiatry
  • Home
    • Editorials
    • Research news
    • Research papers
    • Interviews with eminent psychiatrists
    • Ten years ago
    • Fifteen years ago
  • Topics
    • Alcohol and Drug Abuse
    • Anxiety Disorders
    • Biomedical Science
    • Compulsive gambling
    • Disaster Medicine
    • Education
    • General Medicine
      • Acupuncture
      • Physical medicine and Rehabilitation
    • Human Rights
    • Interviews with eminent psychiatrists
    • Mood Disorders
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Depression
      • Seasonal Affective Disorder
    • Neurological Disorders
    • Other Psychiatric Disorders
    • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
    • Sexual Behavior
  • Books
    • Comorbidity of Depression and Alcohol Use Disorders
    • “Immigration and Mental Health” chapter abstracts
    • “Internet and Suicide” chapter abstracts
    • “Neurobiology of PTSD” chapter abstracts
    • “Suicidal Behavior in Alcohol…” chapter abstracts
    • “Suicide in the Military” chapter abstracts
    • “Terror and Suicide” chapter abstracts
    • “War and Suicide” chapter abstracts
  • Editors
    • Leo Sher, M.D.
    • Alexander Vilens, M.S.
  • Guests
    • Distinguished Guests
    • Our Contributors
  • Reflections
    • Poetry
    • Quotes

Research news

Testosterone levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt

December 28, 2020

Leo Sher, M.D.

Our research article, “The effect of oral dexamethasone administration on testosterone levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt” has been published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research online ahead of print (1).

Combat exposure has been linked to increased risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and death by suicide. Suicidality has been linked with altered testosterone levels. In this study, we examined morning baseline free and total testosterone levels and the effect of dexamethasone administration on testosterone levels in male combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt.

Only suicide attempters who made an attempt within 5 years preceding the day of initial assessment were enrolled. Non-attempters were recruited from the same population of psychiatric patients. Demographic and clinical parameters of the study participants were assessed and recorded. Blood samples were collected between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. on the day prior to and following dexamethasone (0.5 mg) ingestion.

Suicide attempters had higher schedule for suicidal ideation (SSI) scores in comparison to non-attempters. Baseline free and total testosterone levels were lower in suicide attempters compared to non-attempters. In the whole sample, both baseline free and total testosterone levels negatively correlated with SSI scores.

Free testosterone levels decreased after dexamethasone administration among non-attempters but not among attempters. Free testosterone post-dexamethasone levels positively correlated with aggression scores among non-attempters but not among suicide attempters.

Our findings indicate that there are substantial differences in the testosterone regulation between combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt. Studies of the relation between the testosterone function and suicidal behavior among combat veterans may lead to improvement in detection of suicidality and finding new pharmacological targets for prevention of suicide among veterans. Future studies will determine whether therapeutic targeting of testosterone dysregulation attenuates severity of suicidal ideation and, thereby, reduces suicide risk.

Reference

1. Sher L, Bierer LM, Makotkine I, Yehuda R. The effect of oral dexamethasone administration on testosterone levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt. J Psychiatr Res. 2020 Nov 20:S0022-3956(20)31093-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.11.034. Epub ahead of print.

Related Posts

Research news /

Depression and cardiometabolic health: a longitudinal study

Research news /

Elevated risk of COVID-19 death in patients with psychiatric disorders

Research news /

Neurological and neuropsychiatric complications of the COVID-19 disease

‹ Leading world experts on suicide. Expertscape, December 2020 › A comparison of cerebrospinal fluid homovanillic acid levels in depressed suicide attempters without comorbid Axis II disorders, depressed non-attempters without comorbid Axis II disorders, and normal controls

Editorials

  • Pregnancy and COVID-19
  • Physician distress and relief during the coronavirus pandemic
  • Challenges associated with patients refusing to eat in inpatient psychiatric setting
  • COVID-19 and domestic violence

Research Papers

  • Examination of depressive signs and symptoms among 803 University students in seven Universities and Colleges. Hungary, Romania, Serbia.
  • Examination of spirituality and the dimensions of spirituality among 803 students in seven different Universities. Hungary, Romania and Serbia.
  • Examination of depressive signs and symptoms among 932 students in eight different secondary schools in Hungary
  • Examination of psychological immune system among 932 students in eight different secondary schools in Hungary

Research News

  • Depression and cardiometabolic health: a longitudinal study
  • Testosterone levels in combat veterans with or without a history of suicide attempt
  • Elevated risk of COVID-19 death in patients with psychiatric disorders
  • Neurological and neuropsychiatric complications of the COVID-19 disease

Latest News

  • Leading world experts on suicide. Expertscape, December 2020
  • 9-8-8 will be the universal telephone number to reach the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline
  • Leading world experts on suicide. Expertscape, September 2020
  • Leading world experts on suicide. Expertscape, July 2020

Interviews with eminent psychiatrists

  • Interview with Professor Shih-Ku Lin
  • Interview with Professor Masahito Fushimi
  • Interview with Professor Maurizio Pompili
  • Interview with Professor Marco Sarchiapone

Ten Years Ago

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder and the Neuroevolutionary Time-depth Principle
  • The role of endogenous opioids and monoamine neurotransmitters in non-suicidal self-injury
  • The 2003 SARS outbreak and suicide among older adults
  • Objections to suicide among mood disordered patients with co-occurring alcohol use disorders

Back to Top

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Copyright © 2021 AVCalc LLC. All rights reserved worldwide.