Research summary
Suicide is a serious public health problem. Around the world, about 700,000 people take their own lives each year. Emerging evidence suggests that the origin of suicide may be traced to factors that arise during influential developmental periods early in life, such as the perinatal period (before birth, during labour and delivery, and up to the end of the post-partum period), childhood and adolescence. The findings suggest that these may be important windows for prevention.
Dr. Massimiliano Orri, Canada Research Chair in Suicide Prevention, is using an approach to suicide prevention that examines an individual’s life history. His goal is to understand the role of developmental risk factors that can lead to suicide across the lifespan. He and his research team are using data from longitudinal birth cohorts and applying innovative, genetically informed designs to develop early interventions that could reduce the incidence of suicide.