Suicide Risks

Overview

• Sex 
  • men succeed more often
  • women try more often
• Age
  • teenager
  • elderly
• Race
  • white >> black, hispanic, and asian
• Depression
• History of sexual assault 
• Plan 
  • previous attempt (most predictive factor)
    • 70% of people who kill themselves do so on their first try
  • organized plan
  • access to firearms
• Drugs
  • ethanol
  • 3 or more prescription drugs
  • illicit drugs
• Loss of rational thinking
• Medical illness
  • especially with pronounced symptoms
• Support network
  • no spouse
  • divorced
  • widowed
  • single
    • especially if no children
• generally lacking social support