The Legacy of Child Abuse

In the wake of a suicide, friends, family and loved ones are left reeling, grappling with the big question: Why? One part of the answer was recently found in research performed by scientists associated with the newly formed Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology at McGill University. The researchers discovered a novel biological link to some male suicides. Earlier studies linked physical or emotional childhood abuse to suicide, but the Sackler team found that childhood abuse amongst suicide victims was associated with a distinct epigenetic mark on the DNA. The discovery represents a huge step forward for epigenetics—the study of how environmental factors change gene expression—and holds the promise of better understanding suicide and, perhaps, new treatments.