Toxoplasma gondii infection and self-directed violence in mothers

Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012 Nov;69(11):1123-30. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2012.668.

Abstract

Context: Two studies based on clinical samples have found an association between Toxoplasma gondii infection and history of suicide attempt. To our knowledge, these findings have never been replicated in a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To examine whether T gondii–infected mothers have an increased risk of self-directed violence, violent suicide attempts, and suicide and whether the risk depends on the level of T gondii IgG antibodies.

Design: Register-based prospective cohort study. Women were followed up from the date of delivery, 1992 to 1995 until 2006.

Setting: Denmark.

Participants: A cohort of 45 788 women born in Denmark whose level of Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies was measured in connection with child birth between 1992 and 1995.

Main outcome measures: Incidence rates of self-directed violence, violent suicide attempts, and suicide in relation to T gondii seropositivity and serointensity.

Results: T gondii–infected mothers had a relative risk of self-directed violence of 1.53 (95% CI, 1.27-1.85) compared with noninfected mothers, and the risk seemed to increase with increasing IgG antibody level. For violent suicide attempts, the relative risk was 1.81 (95% CI, 1.13-2.84) and for suicide, 2.05 (95% CI, 0.78-5.20). A similar association was found for repetition of self-directed violence, with a relative risk of 1.54 (95% CI, 0.98-2.39).

Conclusion: Women with a T gondii infection have an increased risk of self-directed violence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Denmark
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Incidence
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Mothers*
  • Neonatal Screening
  • Pregnancy
  • Prospective Studies
  • Recurrence
  • Registries
  • Risk
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / diagnosis*
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / epidemiology
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
  • Suicide, Attempted / psychology*
  • Suicide, Attempted / statistics & numerical data
  • Toxoplasma / immunology
  • Toxoplasmosis / diagnosis*
  • Toxoplasmosis / epidemiology
  • Toxoplasmosis / psychology*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / diagnosis
  • Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / epidemiology
  • Violence / psychology*
  • Violence / statistics & numerical data

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G