Suicide is a global problem. In 2012, suicide was the second leading cause of death among 15–29 year olds (World Health Organization, 2015) and the leading cause of death among 15–19 year old females (Patton et al., 2009). The World Health Organization estimates that 800,000 people worldwide end their lives by suicide each year. Around 90% of individuals who commit suicide are believed to suffer from psychiatric disorders (Hawton & van Heeringen, 2009), with anorexia nervosa (AN) and major depressive disorder (MDD) among the disorders with the highest risk (Chesney, Goodwin, & Fazel, 2014). In this paper, we explore the connections among AN, MDD, and suicide attempts (SA) with the aim of clarifying the role that genetic and environmental factors play on these phenotypes.
