Comparison of lithium levels between suicide and non-suicide fatalities: Cross-sectional study.
Transl Psychiatry
; 12(1): 466, 2022 Nov 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36344516
ABSTRACT
Ecological studies have suggested the protective effect of micro-dose lithium in drinking water against suicide, however, the association between body lithium level and suicide is unknown. We aimed to compare body lithium levels between suicide and non-suicide fatalities. This cross-sectional study included 12 suicides and 16 non-suicides who were examined or dissected at the Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office from March 2018 to June 2021. The aqueous humor lithium concentration was measured twice using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the lithium concentration between suicides and non-suicides. Mixed-effects model was conducted to account for all lithium concentration data. The aqueous humor lithium concentration did not change after death (t(7) = -0.70, [Formula see text], SE = 0.03, 95% CI = [-0.09, 0.05], P = 0.51, Cohen's d = 0.01). The aqueous humor lithium concentration was lower in suicides (mean 0.50 µg/L (variance s2 0.04)) than in non-suicides (mean 0.92 µg/L (s2 0.07)) (t(26) = 4.47, [Formula see text], SE = 0.09, 95% CI = [0.22 to 0.61], P < 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.71). The ANCOVA showed that death by suicide was significantly associated with lower lithium concentration (F(1, 24) = 8.57, P = 0.007), and the effect size was large (ηp2 = 0.26). The random intercept model showed a significant effect of suicide on aqueous humor lithium concentration (b = -0.261, SE = 0.102, 95% CI = [-0.471 to -0.051], t(24) = -2.568, P = 0.017). The results of this study demonstrate that even micro-dose lithium is associated with suicide death. Clinical studies are warranted to examine the effects of micro-dose lithium on suicide prevention.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Água Potável
/
Lítio
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article