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Past History of Attempted Suicide

This is the strongest predictor of suicide!!

Suicidal ideation, talk or preparation are all strong predictors of suicide.

Certain Psychiatric Problems

Depression, hopelessness

Schizophrenia

Substance Abuse (alcoholism, drug abuse)

Personality Disorders, especially Borderline, Antisocial

Situational Risk Factors

Stressful Life Events (e.g. death of a loved one, recent loss of employment)

Loss or Disruption of Normal Social Support Networks (e.g. divorce, umemployment, migration)

Absent or Inadequate Social Support Networks (This often develops from other risk factors such as recent stressful life events or leads to risk factors such as clinical depression.)

Contagion

The contagion hypothesis suggests that exposure to suicide or suicidal behavior by other may be a risk factor for suicide.

Most commonly applied to suicide clusters seen among teenagers and young adults.

Genetic Predisposition

Individuals who attempt or complete suicide often have a significant family history of suicidal behaviors.

Twin studies suggest a genetically based risk for suicide that my be inherited independently of major psychiatric illness.

Neurotransmitters

A clear relationship has been demonstrated between low concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleactic acid (5-HIAA) in cerebrospinal fluid and an increased incidence of attempted and completed suicide in psychiatric patients.

This association also may hold true for individuals with a personality disorder or with schizophrenia.

Ready Accessibility of Firearms

Firearms are the most frequently used method of suicide.

Firearm suicides often are immediately fatal leaving minimal opportunity for postattempt rescue.

Firearms both limit the preattempt opportunity for intervention by others abd facilitate impulsive suicidal acts.

Demographics

Sex: Males are three to five times more likely to commit suicide than females.

Age: While most suicides occur among persons less than 40 years of age, the Caucasian elderly population displays the highest rate of suicide.

Reference:

O'Carroll PW: Suicide. In Last JM et al (eds): Public Health & Preventive Medicine. Connecticut: Appleton & Lange, 1992, pp1054-1062.

Maris, RW: Overview of the Study of Suicide Assessment and Prediction. In Maris RW et al (eds): Assessment and Prediction of Suicide. New York: The Guilford Press, 1992, pp 3-22.