|
Dr. B.K. Barik, Dr. A
Behera,
Dr.
Pusparani
Das, Dr.
A.K.
Agasthi
ABSTRACT
It has
found
that
serum
cholesterol
is
lowered
in cases
of
depressive-psychosis
and
other
disorders.
In many
circumstances
psychosis
often
leads to
suicidal
death.
In the
present
study
total
serum
cholesterol
has been
estimated
in Cases
of
suicidal
death
and
compared
with
that of
Control.
It
showed
that
Cases of
suicidal
death
with
history
of
psychosis
register
a
significantly
lower
level of
serum
cholesterol
when
compared
to that
of
Control.
KEYWORDS:
Total
serum
cholesterol,
Suicidal
death,
Depressive
psychosis,
Mental
disorders.
INTRODUCTION:
Recent
statistics
reveal
that
about
100
persons
commit
suicide
in India
daily.
The rate
of
suicidal
death is
increasing
every
day due
to
interplay
of
multiple
factors
like
psychological,
socio-economic,
ill
health,
failures
in the
examinations,
maladjustment
in the
social
and so
on.
According
to a
French
sociologist
Durkeim
"Suicide
is death
resulting
directly
or
indirectly
from a
positive
or
negative
act of
the
victim
himself
which he
knows
will
produce
this
result".
Suicide
from
existential
point of
view
reflects
a
behaviour
that
seeks
and
finds a
solution
to an
existential
problem
by
making
an on
the life
of the
subject.
Hence it
is a
behaviour
on the
part of
the
victim
which
triggers
to end
his
life.
There
are some
biochemical
parameters
that
predict
such
behaviour
which
ultimately
lead to
attempted
suicide,
deliberate
self-harm
(Parasuicide)
and
finally
suicide.
Some
prospective
retrospective
studies
in
suicidal
victims
have
pointed
out
certain
biochemical
predictors
associated
with the
suicidal
behaviour.
The
present
paper
attempts
to
explore
the
extent
of
association
of one
of these
predictors
in
victims
of
suicidal
death.
MATERIALS
AND
METHODS:
In this
study 25
Cases of
suicidal
having
history
of
psychotic
disorders
like
depressive
psychosis,
schizophrenia,
schizo-affective
and
personality
disorders
were
chosen
and the
blood
sample
was
drawn
from
their
heart
chambers.
The
total
serum
cholesterol
estimated
in each
Case by
enzymatic
cleavage
of
cholesterol
ester by
cholesterol
esterase.
In all
cases
the time
since
death
was
within
six
hours to
avoid
autolysis
and
decomposition.
The
collected
in these
test
Cases
were
arranged
in a
tabular
form
taking
into
account
age,
sex,
method
of
suicide
and
average
total
serum
cholesterol.
In 30
Control
Cases
i.e.
victims
of
non-suicidal
death
chosen
randomly,
the were
collected
and
worked
out
similarly
fro
comparison.
OBSERVATION
TABLE –
1
MEAN
SERUM
CHOLESTEROL
LEVEL IN
DIFFERENT
AGE
GROUPS
AND
DIFFERENT
SEXES IN
VICTIMS
OF
SUICIDAL
DEATH
(N=25)
AGEW YEARS
|
MALE
|
MEAN CHOLESTEROL (in mg %) |
FEMALE
|
SERUM CHOLESTEROL |
|
15-30 |
6 |
141 |
4 |
120 |
|
31 -45 |
5 |
130 |
4 |
110 |
|
46-60 |
4 |
110 |
1 |
105 |
|
>60 |
1 |
100 |
— |
— |
Cases of
suicidal
death
having
history
of
psychiatric
disorders.
TABLE –
2
DIFFERENT
METHOD
OF
SUICIDE
AND
THEIR
MEAN
SERUM
CHOLESTEROL
LEVEL
(N=25)
|
Method of Suicide |
Number of Cases |
Mean Serum Cholesterol
(in mg%) |
|
Railway Track |
4 |
120 |
|
Poisoning |
12 |
125 |
|
Burning |
2 |
122 |
|
Hanging |
5 |
105 |
|
Drowning |
1 |
135 |
|
Drugs |
1 |
167 |
TABLE –
3
DIFFERENT
PSYCHIATRIC
DISORDERS
AND
THEIR
MEAN
SERUM
CHOLESTEROL
LEVEL
(N=25)
|
Psychiatric Disorders |
Number of Cases |
Mean Serum Cholesterol
(in mg%) |
|
Depressive Psychosis |
20 |
135 |
|
Schizophrenia |
4 |
140 |
|
Personality disorders |
1 |
170 |
TABLE –
4
CONTROL
CASES
AND
THEIR
MEAN
SERUM
CHOLESTEROL
LEVEL
(N=30)
|
Cause of Death |
Number of Cases |
Mean Serum Cholesterol
(in mg%) |
|
Road Accidents |
15 |
170 |
|
Homicides |
5 |
165 |
|
Other Accidents |
7 |
190 |
|
Natural Death |
3 |
200 |
*
Cases
other
than
suicidal
death
DISCUSSION
The
above
tables
clearly
show
that the
serum
cholesterol
is
decreased
in Cases
of
suicidal
death
having
history
of
various
mental
disorders.
Among
the
suicidal
death
Cases,
the
Hanging
Cases
register
comparatively
low
cholesterol
level
whereas
Cases
having
history
of
depressive
psychosis
register
a very
low
level
when
compared
with
that of
Cases
having
other
mental
disorders.
Non
suicidal
death
Cases
show
more or
loss
normal
level of
serum
cholesterol
whereas
Cases of
death
from
natural
causes
show a
moderate
increase
in the
level of
serum
cholesterol
probably
due to
cardiovascular
causes.
From
various
studies,
it has
been
proved
that
serotonin
( 5 -
hydroxyl
tryptamine
) - a
polypeptide
in the
brain
modifies
the mood
of a
person.
Low
serotonin
is
associated
with
various
mental
disorders
including
depressive
psychosis.
Research
studies
by Roy,
Nuttirk
and
Linoiia
(1988)
have
shown
low
serotonin
level in
C.S.F.
of the
victims
of
suicidal
death.
In
another
study,
brains
of
suicidal
victims
reflect
a
moderately
decreased
level of
serotonin
and its
metabolite
5 - HIAA
i.e. 5
-hydroxyl
indole
acetic
acid (Stenely,
Man,
Coheir
(1988)).
Further,
serotonin
is low
in
persons
having
low
cholesterol
level (BMJ-UCP
(M.N.):
APR
1996).
It is
because
cholesterol
helps in
transport
of
serotonin
to the
brain
(Lawrence,
Palinkis,.UCP
(M.N.):
1996),
If we
correlate
the
results
of the
above
studies,
it is
apparently
clear
that low
cholesterol
level is
often
associated
with low
serotonin
level
which
accounts
many a
times
for the
characteristic
self-destructing
violent
behaviour
of the
victims
of
suicidal
death.
CONCLUSION
While
lowering
of
cholesterol
is
beneficial
to the
heart,
too low
cholesterol
level
could
make a
person
depressive
leading
to
suicidal
death.
From the
above
study it
is well
understood
that low
cholesterol
level is
associated
with
many
instances
of
suicidal
death.
Psychiatric
patients
having
low
serum-cholesterol
level
should
be
carefully
observed
for
development
of any
suicidal
behaviour
and
timely
managed
with
treatment
and
life-preserving
measures
so that
many
suicides
could be
avoided. |
