Based on a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, it was established that there is no reliable way to predict or anticipate people who are at risk of taking their own lives. However, these researchers believe that using the test that was conducted during the research, there is a higher probability of identifying people with suicidal risks early on in order to nip a potential catastrophe in the bud. Despite the fact that a test such as this is admittedly years away from being substantiated, the research party is optimistic that it will be widely accessible to the public in the future.
The key to the research is in the gene called SKA2 that has been found to display a unique chemical change as the human brain responds to stimulation by stress or months. Apparently, this gene plays an important role in turning an otherwise insignificant reaction to stress into a potentially suicidal thought or destructive behavior. This gene is responsible for inhibiting negative thoughts and controlling impulses actions. Therefore, when the levels of the SKA2 become too low, the brain will be triggered to release abnormally high levels of cortisol otherwise known as the stress hormone. Previous studies have revealed that elevated cortisol levels are evident in people who try to commit or have already committed suicide.
After close examination of brain samples from suicide victims, they have discovered that the levels of the SKA2 gene were remarkably reduced compared to those of healthy people. Furthermore, blood samples that were tested from over 300 test subjects during a prevention study at the Johns Hopkins University revealed that the changes in the level of this gene predicted with 80% accuracy subjects who were harboring suicidal thoughts or those who were on the verge of attempting suicide. In fact, the test proved to be more precise when used on a test group composed of individuals with a more severe inclination towards suicide.
