Biology:Finno-Ugrian suicide hypothesis

Short description: Disputed genetic theory

Suicide rate in Hungary (1950–2005), 1983: 45.3 suicides per 100,000 people, it was the second highest rate (after Lithuania, 1995: 45.6) of an independent state in recorded human history. Higher rates were only measured in regions like Greenland or the Canadian territories.

The Finno-Ugrian suicide hypothesis proposes to link genetic ties originating among Finno-Ugric peoples to high rate of suicide, claiming an allele common among them is responsible.

Mari and Udmurts have been found to have a three times higher suicide rate than Finns and Hungarians. It has been thus theorized that such a possible allele may have arisen in those populations.

However, contrary to the hypothesis, available contemporary (1990–1994) suicide rates in the United States were uniformly negatively associated with the proportion of the population comprising people of self-reported Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Slovakian, or Ukrainian descent. The findings of this first test outside Europe are therefore conflicting. A proposal based on the geographical study approach is offered to further the progress of investigations into the genetics of suicide.

See also

• Human genetic variation
• Finnish heritage disease
• Gloomy Sunday
• List of countries by suicide rate

References

• "Testing the Finno-Ugrian suicide hypothesis: replication and refinement with regional suicide data from eastern Europe". Perceptual and Motor Skills 104 (3 Pt 1): 985–94. June 2007. doi:10.2466/PMS.104.3.985-994. PMID 17688155. 
• "The Finno-Ugrian suicide hypothesis: variation in European suicide rates by latitude and longitude". Perceptual and Motor Skills 97 (2): 401–6. October 2003. doi:10.2466/pms.2003.97.2.401. PMID 14620226.