Suicide Gene

What a shock the other day to hear of comic/actor Robim Williams death.  I just read that researchers have a way of determining suicide risk. Hmmm So do I. Just read the stupidity I write here and you're far more likely to commit suicide. But the test the scientists have developed is based on genetics. They give the person a blood test and, I guess, get the straight jacket ready if it says "suicidal". Researchers running postmortem gnome scans of brain samples found that the brains of those who'd committed suicide had less of a gene called SKA2, as well as higher levels of methylation, a chemical process that affects the gene's function.  I'll take their word for it, since I have no idea what SKA2 or methylation is.

My question is ,"why do that"? Do people want to be told they might kill themselves? Might being told that actually make a person more inclined to follow the suggestion and fire away toward self slaughter? The "I'm going to kill myself anyway", syndrome might bring about a very reckless and uncaring life for those who are told they have the genetic predisposition for suicide. 

And what preventive measures would a positive suicide test bring about?  Uh, do you tie Uncle Harry to his chair if his test score is bad?  It seems to me that life for those who know a person has higher suicidal tendencies would be a life living on egg shells.  The husband who knows his wife is suicidal, for example, would be afraid to engage in normal conversation for fear that saying the wrong thing could bring about his wife's death.

It sounds way too negative to me. I think the intent is probably to use this on people in high stress professions, like soldiers. And in those cases it would probably be for observational purposes to alert in case any suicidal signs surface. Still, this idea to use medical technology just because we know how is a bit iffy. Testing for diseases that we can prevent or stop is a good thing. Testing for possible psychological illnesses, including suicide, is a much less certain thing. When we learn from those suicide tests, I think we probably don't know how or shouldn't use the information we gain very often. This is one case where, for humans, too much knowledge may not be a good thing.