Chapter Nine - Predicting the Unpredictable

Summary

Limitations in our capacity to predict the occurrence of suicidal behavior constitute a major problem in the prevention of suicide. Due to their extremely limited predictive value, ratings scales and clinical measures are not available for practical use. This is an area in which neuroscience can be expected to contribute substantially via the identification of biomarkers using genetic and brain imaging techniques. Recent studies using genetic approachessuggest the existence of specific biomarkers that can be detected in the blood. In addition, findings from neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies indicate functional impairments with increasing specificity in association with suicidal behavior. Biomarkers can be expected to contribute substantially to the devlopment of accurate prediction in the context of personalized medicine.