Suicidal thoughts and actions are closely linked in our genes, but not completely — meaning while they share a lot of genetic risk, there are also different biological reasons why some people go from thinking about suicide to acting on it.

Scientists found 77 spots in our DNA linked to thoughts or actions about suicide — 59 of which are brand new discoveries — showing that genetics play a complex role in different ways people experience suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

Some of the genes linked to suicide seem to affect brain areas that handle emotions, memories, and rewards—like the amygdala and hippocampus—suggesting that when these brain circuits don’t work right, it might raise the risk of suicide.

A genetic score that adds up many small risks can slightly predict who might be more likely to experience suicidal behavior — people with the highest scores are about 1.4 times more likely than average to be affected, though it only explains a tiny part of the overall risk.

Genes play a small but real role in why some people might be at higher risk for suicide attempts or death by suicide, with about 6.7% of that risk linked to common genetic differences.