The causes are not the same in each person. A person may be having problems coping with stress. They may also feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Or they may have a substance use problem or a mental illness.

Risk Factors

Things that may raise the risk are mental health problems, such as:

Other things that may raise the risk are:

Being within reach of items that could be used for self-harm, such as guns
Lack of a support system
Poor coping skills
A stressful life event, such as job loss
Prior suicide attempts
Prior trauma
History of acting without thinking or of being violent
Having family members or friends who have died by suicide

The Brain

Symptoms

A person may:

Talk about wanting to die or kill oneself
Talk about feelings of despair
Prepare for death, such as giving away items
Pull away from family and friends

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms. You will also be asked about your physical and mental health history. The doctor may also ask your family questions. A mental health exam may be done to look for any other issues.

Treatment

Treatment will be needed right away. A person may need to stay in a care center. Individual, family, or group therapy may be used to help manage unhelpful thinking.

The goals of treatment are to:

Care for any mental, physical, and substance use disorders
Teach family and friends how to offer support
Learn how to better solve problems and resolve conflict

Prevention

To lower the risk of this problem:

Follow care plans for mental or physical health problems.
Get treated for any substance or alcohol use disorder.
Talk about problems with family members, friends, or a therapist.

RESOURCES:

Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
https://www.familydoctor.org

National Alliance on Mental Illness
https://www.nami.org

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Canadian Mental Health Association
https://cmha.ca

Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca

References:

Klonsky ED, Qiu T, et al. Recent advances in differentiating suicide attempters from suicide ideators. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017 Jan;30(1):15-20 .

Major depressive disorder (MDD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/major-depressive-disorder-mdd. Updated January 19, 2018. Accessed April 18, 2018.

Risk of suicide. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Available at: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Suicide. Accessed September 4, 2020.

Suicidal ideation and behavior. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/suicidal-ideation-and-behavior. Accessed September 4, 2020.

Suicidal thoughts. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed September 4, 2020.

Warning signs of suicide. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education site. Available at: https://save.org/about-suicide/warning-signs-risk-factors-protective-factors. Accessed September 4, 2020.

We can all prevent suicide. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Available at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/how-we-can-all-prevent-suicide. Accessed September 4, 2020.

Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD
Last Updated: 2/19/2021

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.