Specialists spoke to BuzzFeed about how to spot warning signs and ways to get help.
Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed
The most prevalent of these is mental illness.
"About 60% of [people who commit suicide] have depression, and another common diagnosis is alcohol and substance abuse," says Dr. Susan G. Kornstein, Professor of Psychiatry and Executive Director of the Institute for Women's Health at Virginia Commonwealth University. It is also more common among men than women; nearly four times as many men as women take their lives, despite a greater number of suicide attempts in women. Dr. Kornstein attributes this to the tendency of men to use more lethal methods, and a reluctance to seek professional help for depression.
Other factors include family history of suicide, access to lethal means, loss of a loved one, eating disorder, aggression, unemployment, social isolation, prolonged illness, and previous suicide attempts.
Sometimes it's a change in behaviors or routine. "They may start isolating themselves or losing interest in activities they enjoy," says Dr. Scott Krakower, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital. That shift can mean an increase in risky or reckless behaviors, according to Dr. Kornstein, including more use of alcohol and/or drugs. There might be recognizable, dramatic mood shifts: agitation, more volatile anger. Sometimes, the person will make preparations, giving belongings away to friends and family.
These signals are also apparent in conversation. Has he mentioned feeling trapped; has she expressed hopelessness? According to Dr. David Brent, professor of psychiatry and leading suicide researcher at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, a person at risk for suicide might fixate on his death or make comments about being "a burden" to those around them.
Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed
