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Filial piety involves the Confucian view that children always have a duty to be obedient and to provide care for their parents. Filial piety has been described as both a risk and a protective factor in depression and suicide. This qualitative study aimed to explore the role of filial piety in the suicidal behavior of Chinese women. Qualitative interviews were conducted with Chinese women with a history of suicidal behavior living in the Beijing area (n = 29). Filial piety data were extracted and analyzed in accordance with constructivist grounded theory. The women described five specific family and filial piety factors and how they influenced their ability to fulfill family role obligations, which was described as a nexus connecting these factors to depression, suicidal behavior, and recovery. The five factors were: 1) rigidity of parental filial expectations, 2) perception of family relationships as positive/supportive or negative/harsh, 3) whether filial piety is of high or low personal value in the woman's life, 4) any experiences of rebellion leading to punitive consequences, and 5) how much filial piety she receives from her children. These factors could inform suicide risk assessments in this population. They can be harnessed as part of recovery and protect against future suicidal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The blood-derived RNA levels of the adenylosuccinate synthase (ADSS) and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) genes were found to be down- and up-regulated, respectively, in schizophrenics compared with controls, and ADSS and ATM were among eight biomarker genes to discriminate schizophrenics from normal controls. ADSS catalyzes the first committed step of AMP synthesis, while ATM kinase serves as a key signal transducer in the DNA double-strand breaks response pathway. It remains unclear whether these changes result from mutations or polymorphisms in the two genes. Methods Six SNPs in the ADSS gene and three SNPs in the ATM gene in a Chinese population of 488 schizophrenics and 516 controls were genotyped to examine their association with schizophrenia (SZ). Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom platform. Results There was no significant difference in the genotype, allele, or haplotype distributions of the nine SNPs between cases and controls. Using the Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) method, we found that the interactions among rs3102460 in the ADSS gene and rs227061 and rs664143 in the ATM gene revealed a significant association with SZ. This model held a maximum testing accuracy of 60.4% and a maximum cross-validation consistency of 10 out of 10. Conclusion These findings suggest that the combined effects of the polymorphisms in the ADSS and ATM genes may confer susceptibility to the development of SZ in a Chinese population.

Abstract Background Adenylosuccinate synthase (ADSS) catalyzes the first committed step of AMP synthesis. It was suggested that the blood-derived RNA of ADSS was down-regulated in schizophrenia (SZ) and one of the eight putative biomarker genes to discriminate SZ from normal controls. However, it remains unclear whether the reduction of ADSS RNA is due to the polymorphisms of the gene or not. Methods We attempted to examine the association of ADSS gene with schizophrenia in a Chinese population of 480 schizophrenics and 502 normal controls. Genotyping was performed by the Sequenom platform. Results The 6 marker SNPs (rs3102460, rs3127459, rs3127460, rs3127465, rs3006001, and rs3003211) were genotyped. The frequencies of alleles, genotypes, and haplotypes were tested between cases and controls. There was no significant difference of genotypic, allelic, or haplotypic distributions of the 6 SNPs between the two groups. Conclusion Our data did not support ADSS gene as a susceptibility gene for SZ in Chinese Han population. Large sample size study is needed to validate or replicate our association study, especially from other ethnic populations.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to doctor Samuel F. Law and colleagues' article in the December 2011 issue on the lack of primary mental health care in Singapore.

Background: The blood-derived RNA levels of the adenylosuccinate synthase (ADSS) and ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) genes were found to be down- and up-regulated, respectively, in schizophrenics compared with controls, and ADSS and ATM were among eight biomarker genes to discriminate schizophrenics from normal controls. ADSS catalyzes the first committed step of AMP synthesis, while ATM kinase serves as a key signal transducer in the DNA double-strand breaks response pathway. It remains unclear whether these changes result from mutations or polymorphisms in the two genes., Methods: Six SNPs in the ADSS gene and three SNPs in the ATM gene in a Chinese population of 488 schizophrenics and 516 controls were genotyped to examine their association with schizophrenia (SZ). Genotyping was performed using the Sequenom platform., Results: There was no significant difference in the genotype, allele, or haplotype distributions of the nine SNPs between cases and controls. Using the Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) method, we found that the interactions among rs3102460 in the ADSS gene and rs227061 and rs664143 in the ATM gene revealed a significant association with SZ. This model held a maximum testing accuracy of 60.4% and a maximum cross-validation consistency of 10 out of 10., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the combined effects of the polymorphisms in the ADSS and ATM genes may confer susceptibility to the development of SZ in a Chinese population.