Folic acid may help lower the risk of suicide attempts, the study says. Experts say it could be a “major breakthrough”.

Taking prescription folic acid is associated with a significantly lower risk of suicide attempts, according to a recently published study JAMA Psychiatry. Experts say this could potentially mark a “major breakthrough” in suicide prevention.

The large-scale study, which looked at data from 867,000 American adults over two years, showed a beneficial association between taking prescription folic acid — a B vitamin that helps the body grow healthy new cells — and a 44% lower rate of suicide attempts and intentional self-harm. The study also found that each additional month of folic acid treatment was associated with a 5% reduction in suicide rates.

That’s significant considering that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2020, an estimated 12.2 million American adults were seriously considering suicide, 3.2 million were planning a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide.

What do experts say about the study?

dr Tatiana Falcone, a Cleveland Clinic psychiatrist who was not involved in the study, tells Yahoo Life that the results are “really interesting.” She notes that the researchers excluded possible factors that “could potentially skew the results,” and still found that prescription folic acid made a difference. The researchers also compared two groups — one that took prescription folic acid and another that took cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) as a control group — and found that the folic acid group experienced fewer suicide attempts.

Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind who was not involved in the study, told Yahoo Life that the results were “impressive.” However, she agrees with Falcone that more research is needed. Hafeez also says it’s important to note that the folic acid used for the purpose of this study was in a prescription form — “not in an OTC supplement form,” she says.

But if further studies confirm folic acid — which is inexpensive and widely available — as a suicide prevention tool, “this will have meaning for those patients who have low folate levels associated with depression or suicidal thoughts,” says Falcone.

The story goes on

Hafeez agrees, saying, “Not only would it be a major breakthrough in the treatment of depression, but also in drug-resistant depression.”

How does folic acid help?

Some studies suggest that there is a link between low levels of folic acid – the natural form of the B vitamin – and depression. That may be because folate plays a role in the formation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood. Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) help treat depression and other mood disorders by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain.

But, says Falcone, “a certain percentage of patients with depression have abnormalities in folic acid metabolism,” which will affect their response to SSRI antidepressants.

“Treatment with folinic acid has been described as beneficial in patients with treatment-resistant depression who have decreased levels of folate…in their cerebrospinal fluid,” she adds.

Falcone adds that not waiting for treatment for depression is crucial. “The longer the depressive symptoms persist, the longer the suicidal ideation persists, the more likely the patient’s condition will continue to deteriorate,” she says, explaining that that’s why it’s “important to work with your doctor to find the right combination of.” Treatments that are right for the patient.” She adds: “A combination of medication and therapy is best.”

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

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