Suicide with pills, Author Manos Bourdakis (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) indicates that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for ages 15-24, the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 10-14, and the 10th leading cause of death in the US overall [1].
Risk Factors
The risk factors for suicide include [2]:
- A prior suicide attempt or a family history of suicide;
- Mental health issues (including depression) or a family history of such issues;
- Substance abuse or a family history of such abuse;
- Physical or sexual abuse;
- Domestic violence;
- The presence of firearms in the home;
- Painful physical illness;
- Financial difficulties;
- Incarceration;
- Suicide by peers;
- Suicide by celebrities.
According to one study, the victims of child abuse were 2.56 times more likely to attempt suicide than others [3]. As many as 80.1% of those in the study who attempted suicide had been abused in childhood. Continue reading
