Title: 
Headings: 
Suicidal
 
Thoughts
 
and
 
Attempts
 

Suicide
 
Deaths
 

Risk
 
Factors
 

Behavioral
 
Health
 
Issues/Disorders
 

Individual
 
Characteristics
  

Adverse/Stressful
 
Life
 
Circumstances
  

Family
 
Characteristics
  

School
 
and
 
Community
 
Factors
  

Protective
 
Factors
 

Individual
 
Characteristics
 
and
 
Behaviors
  

Social
 
Support
  

School
 
and
 
Community
 
Factors
 

For
 
More
 
Information
 

Endnotes
 

May
 
2014

www.sprc.org
 
*
 
info@sprc.org*
 
877-GET-SPRC
 
(438-7772)
 


Content: Male
 
students
 
accounted
 
for
 
the
 
majority
 
of
 
the
 

 
suicides
 
and
 
had
 
about
 
half
 
the
 
rate
 
of
 
suicide
 
compared
 
to
 
males
 
in
 
the
 
general
 
population. The
 
rates
 
for
 
female
 
students
 
did
 
not
 
differ
 
much
 
from
 
those
 
of
 
same-age
 
females
 
in
 
the
 
general
 
population. Risk
 
Factors
 
Risk
 
factors
 
for
 
suicide
 
refer
 
to
 
characteristics
 
that
 
are
 
associated
 
with
 
suicide. People
 
who
 
are
 
affected
 
by
 
one
 
or
 
more
 
risk
 
factors
 
may
 
have
 
a
 
greater
 
probability
 
of
 
suicidal
 
behavior. Some
 
risk
 
factors
 
cannot
 
be
 
changed—such
 
as
 
a
 
previous
 
suicide
 
attempt—but
 
they
 
can
 
be
 
used
 
to
 
help
 
identify
 
someone
 
who
 
may
 
be
 
vulnerable
 
to
 
suicide. There
 
is
 
no
 
single,
 
agreed-upon
 
list
 
of
 
risk
 
factors; however,
 
the
 
list
 
below
 
summarizes
 
the
 
risk
 
factors
 
identified
 
by
 
the
 
most
 
recent
 
research.13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21
 
Behavioral
 
Health
 
Issues/Disorders
 

 
Depressive
 
disorders
  


 
Substance
 
abuse
 
or
 
dependence
 
(alcohol
 
and
 
other
 
drugs)
  


 
Delinquency/Conduct
 
disorders
  


 
Other
 
disorders
 
(e.g.,
 
anxiety
 
disorders,
 
eating
 
disorders)
  


 
Previous
 
suicide
 
attempts
  

 
Self-injury
 
(without
 
intent
 
to
 
die)
  
Note: The
 
presence
 
of
 
multiple
 
behavioral
 
health
 
disorders
 
(especially
 
the
 
combination
 
of
 
depressive
 
and
 
disruptive
 
behavior
 
problems
 
or
 
substance
 
use)
 
increases
 
suicide
 
risk. Individual
 
Characteristics
  

 
Hopelessness
 


 
Loneliness
  


 
Social
 
alienation
 
and
 
isolation,
 
lack
 
of
 
belonging
  


 
Anger,
 
hostility
 


 
Risky
 
behavior,
 
impulsivity
 


 
Low
 
stress
 
and
 
frustration
 
tolerance
  


 
Poor
 
problem-solving
 
or
 
coping
 
skills
  


 
Perception
 
of
 
being
 
a
 
burden
 
(e.g.,
 
to
 
family
 
and
 
friends)
 

Adverse/Stressful
 
Life
 
Circumstances
  

 
Interpersonal
 
difficulties
 
or
 
losses
 
(e.g.,
 
relationship
 
breakup,
 
dating
 
violence)
  


 
School
 
or
 
work
 
problems
 


 
Financial
 
problems
 


 
Physical,
 
sexual,
 
and/or
 
psychological
 
abuse
 
(current
 
and/or
 
previous)
 


 
Chronic
 
physical
 
illness
 
or
 
disability
  


 
Insomnia
 
and
 
nightmares
 

Family
 
Characteristics
  

 
Family
 
history
 
of
 
suicide
 
or
 
suicidal
 
behavior
  


 
Parental
 
mental
 
health
 
problems
  


 
Family
 
violence
 
or
 
abuse
 
(current
 
and/or
 
previous)
 


 
Family
 
instability
 
and/or
 
loss
 


 
Lack
 
of
 
parental
 
support
 

School
 
and
 
Community
 
Factors
  

 
Limited
 
access
 
to
 
effective
 
care
 
for
 
health,
 
mental
 
health,
 
or
 
substance
 
abuse
 
disorders
 


 
Stigma
 
associated
 
with
 
seeking
 
care
 


 
Negative
 
social
 
and
 
emotional
 
environment,
 
including
 
negative
 
attitudes,
 
beliefs,
 
feelings,
 
and
 
interactions
 
of
 
staff
 
and
 
students
  


 
Exposure
 
to
 
stigma
 
and
 
discrimination
 
against
 
students
 
based
 
on
 
sexual
 
orientation,
 
gender
 
identity,
 
race
 
and
 
ethnicity,
 
disability,
 
or
 
physical
 
characteristics
 
(such
 
as
 
being
 
overweight)
 


 
Access
 
to
 
lethal
 
means
  


 
Exposure
 
to
 
media
 
normalizing
 
or
 
glamorizing
 
suicide
 

Protective
 
Factors
 
Protective
 
factors
 
are
 
characteristics
 
that
 
reduce
 
the
 
likelihood
 
of
 
suicide. They
 
can
 
buffer
 
the
 
effects
 
of
 
risk
 
factors.