Risk of suicide in twins: No protective effect is needed to explain the findings

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7424.1168-b

BMJ 2003;327:1168 (15 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7424.1168-b

Letter

Risk of suicide in twins

No protective effect is needed to explain the findings

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Tomassini et al invoke strong family ties to explaintheir finding that twins had a lower suicide rate than the generalpopulation.¹ The phrase seems to refer to close interpersonalrelations, as distinct from and in contrast to genetic similarities.

Family and twin studies have tended to show that the higherthe genetic similarity between any two individuals the higherthe probability that if one dies as the result of lethal self-harmthe other one also will die of that cause.^2-5 Complementarily,the higher the genetic similarity between two individuals thehigher the probability that if one does not die of lethal selfharm the other one will not either.

By far the majority of twins, in common with people generally,die of causes other than lethal self harm. It follows that membersof a group of twins are less likely to die of lethal self harmthan . . . [Full text of this article]

Thomas J Verberne, clinical neuropsychologist, retired

14 Crampton Crescent, Rosanna, VIC 3084, Australia Verberne@melbpc.org.uk

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