TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - A prospective study of lipids and serotonin as risk markers of violence and self-harm in acute psychiatric patients
JO  - Psychiatry research
A1  - Roaldset, John Olav
A1  - Bakken, Anne M.
A1  - Bjørkly, S
SP  - 293
EP  - 299
VL  - 186
IS  - 2-3
N2  - Cross-sectional studies have reported an association between lipids and serotonin levels and aggression, but a literature search revealed a paucity of prospective studies. Subjects of the present naturalistic study were 254 of all (489) involuntary and voluntary acutely admitted patients to a psychiatric hospital during 1year. Serum lipids and platelet serotonin at admission were prospectively compared with recorded intra-institutional and 1-year post-discharge violence and self-harm. Total cholesterol had a significant negative relationship to inpatient suicidal behaviour and inpatient violent behaviour and to 3-months post-discharge violent behaviour. Triglycerides were a significant marker of inpatient self-mutilation and of self-mutilation in combination with suicidal behaviour at 3- and 12-months of follow-up. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) had a significant negative relationship to 12-months' violence, and to repeated violence in seven patients with two or more admissions. The post-discharge relationships between total cholesterol and violence and between triglycerides and self-harm remained significant even when controlling for other possible explanatory variables in a multivariate model. Results did not change after controlling for current medication at admission. There was no association between platelet serotonin and violence or self-harm. Future research may examine if lipid measurements add incremental validity to established clinical risk assessment procedures of violent and self-harm behaviour.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-1781
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2010.07.029
ID  - ref1
ER  -