Suicide is complex and involves several factors that are often not always visible. Knowing risk factors, protective factors and warning signs is a critical step in helping connect someone at risk to the care they may need.
Some of the most common major risk factors include:
- Prior suicide attempts
- Mood disorders
- Substance use disorders
- Access to lethal means (access to methods someone could use to kill themselves)
- Trauma, PTSD or prolonged stress (abuse, bullying)
- Traumatic brain injury
- Chronic pain
- Family history of suicide
- Loss (job, death, financial, relationship, pet, etc.)
- Life transitions (military to veteran status, job and school changes, relocation, retirement)
- Legal problems or involvement in a legal issue or judicial system involvement
- Exposure to clusters of suicide
- Exposure to another person’s suicide
- Exposure to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide
In addition to the above risk factors, certain populations are at higher risk of suicide. These include:
- BIPOC populations
- LGBTQIA+ community
- Veterans
- Youth
- Connectedness to family, community and social institutions
- Support for seeking help
- Effective clinical care for underlying mental, physical or substance use disorders and suicidality
- Skills in problem-solving and conflict resolution
- Cultural and religious beliefs that discourage suicide and support self-preservation
- Contact with caregivers
- Lethal means safety (in other words, being protected from things or methods that could be used for suicide)
Source:
Suicide Prevention Resource Center & Rodgers, P. (2011) Understanding risk and protective factors for suicide: A primer for preventing suicide. Newton, MA: Education Development Center Inc.