Mutuality of thyroid hormones and psychiatric disorders

Abstract

Abnormalities in thyroid function may induce affective, anxious, psychotic, and cognitive disorders and are a potential marker for assessing suicidal risk in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders. This retrospective, cross-sectional, electronic, and data-based study, comprising 118 adult psychiatric patients, aimed to establish differences in the concentrations of total T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone among patients diagnosed with common psychiatric disorders. The analysis encompassed the levels of these hormones in patients who had attempted suicide and those who had not. Lower values of total T3 were observed in patients with depressive disorder compared to patients with psychotic and bipolar disorder, as well as the control group. Furthermore, lower total T3 values were observed in patients who had reported a suicide attempt in their lives compared to participants who had not attempted suicide. These findings suggest a potential link between thyroid hormones and the regulation of central serotonin activity. The study underscores the importance of routinely assessing thyroid function in clinical practice to facilitate early detection of suicidality and the prevention of suicide.