Causes of Suicide

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The reasons why someone may feel suicidal are often very complex and may be linked to mental health conditions such as depression. But there are things that make it more likely for you to have suicidal thoughts:

Something has happened in your life that has upset you. Perhaps you are being bullied, or you have not got the exam results you wanted. Perhaps you have split up with a partner, or someone close to you has died.
Your life has changed and you are finding it hard to cope with. Perhaps you have recently retired, or your family has just left home. Perhaps you are having financial difficulties.
You have been drinking heavily or using illegal drugs.
Someone close to you has taken his or her own life.
You are suffering from a medical condition called depression.

Sometimes there is no single, clear reason why you are thinking about suicide. A run of small problems or bad luck, or simply a gradual build-up of hurts and pressures over time can wear you down until you begin to have suicidal thoughts.

It is important to realise that different people react to things in different ways. For some, thoughts of suicide enter their head. Most of these people donâ€™t really want to die, but suicide may seem the only way out from their problems or an end to the unhappiness they are feeling. In this state of mind it is often difficult to think clearly. Things may look totally out of proportion.

Some groups of people are known to be at particular risk of suicide as they have unique difficulties to face. For example, elderly people are more likely to have to deal with the death of loved ones, loneliness, and ill health. Depression in older people tends to be overlooked in favour of treating the physical conditions that come with old age. As a result, the suicide rate among the elderly is much higher than in the general population.

Other groups at risk include:

those with serious mental health problems, such as severe depression or schizophrenia,
those who may feel isolated within our society. Gay men and lesbians, students, the homeless, immigrants, old people, and those in prison are at particular risk,
those who use illegal drugs or abuse alcohol,
those who have suffered sexual or physical abuse, and
those who have attempted suicide or self-harmed before.