Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Suicide

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRisk Factors of SuicideWarning Signs of SuicideSafety PlanSuicide Prevention

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Risk Factors of Suicide

Warning Signs of Suicide

Safety Plan

Suicide Prevention

Information presented in this article may be triggering to some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

The best way to prevent suicide, according to Suicide Prevention Resources, is to make sure you know the risk factors and warning signs of suicide.

Press Play to Learn More About Suicide & Suicidal Ideation

Risk factors can include both the situations a person experiences and how the person is feeling internally. Though it may be easier to recognize situations and times when suicide is more common, understanding how someone is feeling inside requires a little more detective work.

Life Situations

Certain conditions and situations are associated with an increased risk of suicide, including:

In addition, there are certain times when people may be more prone to suicidal feelings, such as:

Emotional and Behavioral Changes

Emotionally, the suicidal person may be feeling:

Behaviorally, the person may:

Types of Suicide Risk Factors

There are two different types of suicide risk factors: proximal risk factors and distal risk factors.

Suicide warning signs which you should be aware of include:

If You See Warning SignsIf you observe any of these warning signs in your loved one, encourage them to seek help from a mental health professional. If they refuse, be persistent. If they appear to be in immediate danger of hurting themselves, do not leave them alone, remove any possible means that they can use to hurt themselves, and get them to an emergency room as soon as possible.

If You See Warning Signs

If you observe any of these warning signs in your loved one, encourage them to seek help from a mental health professional. If they refuse, be persistent. If they appear to be in immediate danger of hurting themselves, do not leave them alone, remove any possible means that they can use to hurt themselves, and get them to an emergency room as soon as possible.

While not exclusive to depression,suicidal thoughtsare common among people with depression. If you are living with depression but do not feel suicidal, some people find it helpful to make up a contingency plan on the chance that they may feel suicidal in the future.

If you don’t know if you should be concerned about a loved one and aren’t ready to take them to the emergency room or call the suicide hotline, here are some things you can do.

Be Alert

Know the risk factors and warning signs. Be particularly concerned if your loved one shows multiple suicide warning signs.

Encourage a loved one with depression to seek help. Help them locate treatment resources such as a doctor, therapist, or suicide hotline.

Communicate

Don’t discount your loved one’s feelings. Even if a situation seems easily fixable to you that doesn’t mean that your loved one sees it the same way.

Ask your loved one about suicidal thoughts. Many people are afraid that bringing up the idea of suicide will raise the likelihood it will occur. That’s simply not true.

Show Support

Share your feelings with one another. Your loved one may ask you to keep what they share with you to yourself and not tell anyone. But when it comes to suicide warning signs, not only is that ask not fair to you, but it may be in their best interest to involve others if needed. Use your best judgment, and make your loved one’s health and safety your first priority.

A Note About Warning Signs

While most people who attempt suicide do show some sort of warning signs, there are also those people who, because of social stigma or a desire to not appear weak, will successfully hide what they are feeling. If you fail to recognize that your loved one is considering or considered suicide, do not blame yourself. Remember that you did the best you could with the information you had.

How to Talk to a Friend Who Has Lost Someone to Suicide

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Does depression increase the risk for suicide?Brådvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rising across the US.Suicide Prevention Resource Center.A Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention.Saad AM, Gad MM, Al-Husseini MJ, et al.Suicidal death within a year of a cancer diagnosis: A population-based study.Cancer. 2019;125(6):972-979. doi:10.1002/cncr.31876National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions.National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide Prevention.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Does depression increase the risk for suicide?Brådvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rising across the US.Suicide Prevention Resource Center.A Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention.Saad AM, Gad MM, Al-Husseini MJ, et al.Suicidal death within a year of a cancer diagnosis: A population-based study.Cancer. 2019;125(6):972-979. doi:10.1002/cncr.31876National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions.National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide Prevention.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Does depression increase the risk for suicide?Brådvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rising across the US.Suicide Prevention Resource Center.A Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention.Saad AM, Gad MM, Al-Husseini MJ, et al.Suicidal death within a year of a cancer diagnosis: A population-based study.Cancer. 2019;125(6):972-979. doi:10.1002/cncr.31876National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions.National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide Prevention.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.Does depression increase the risk for suicide?

Brådvik L.Suicide risk and mental disorders.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9):2028. doi:10.3390/ijerph15092028

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Suicide rising across the US.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center.A Comprehensive Approach to Suicide Prevention.

Saad AM, Gad MM, Al-Husseini MJ, et al.Suicidal death within a year of a cancer diagnosis: A population-based study.Cancer. 2019;125(6):972-979. doi:10.1002/cncr.31876

National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide in America: Frequently Asked Questions.

National Institute of Mental Health.Suicide Prevention.

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?

Press Play to Learn More About Suicide & Suicidal Ideation#

Life Situations#

Emotional and Behavioral Changes#

Types of Suicide Risk Factors#

If You See Warning Signs#

Be Alert#

Communicate#

Show Support#

A Note About Warning Signs#