Suicide Risk Factors

What leads to suicide?

There’s no single cause for suicide. Suicide most often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase risk for suicide. Yet it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.

Suicide risk factors

Risk factors are characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life.

Risk factor: Health

• Mental health conditions:
• Depression
• Substance use problems
• Bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Personality traits of aggression, mood changes and poor relationships
• Conduct disorder
• Anxiety disorders
• Serious physical health conditions including pain
• Traumatic brain injury

Risk factor: Environmental

• Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs
• Prolonged stress, such as harassment, bullying, relationship problems or unemployment
• Stressful life events, like rejection, divorce, financial crisis, other life transitions or loss
• Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

Risk factor: Historical

• Previous suicide attempts
• Family history of suicide
• Childhood abuse, neglect or trauma
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention