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  3. Suicide Prevention and Awareness
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Risk Factors

Understanding Suicide Risk Factors

Characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life:

health factors

  • Mental health conditions
    • Depression
    • Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder
    • Schizophrenia
    • Borderline or antisocial personality disorder
    • Conduct disorder
    • Psychotic disorders, or psychotic symptoms in the context of any disorder
    • Anxiety disorders
  • Substance abuse disorders
  • Serious or chronic health condition and/or pain

environmental factors

  • Stressful life events which may include a death, divorce, or job loss
  • Prolonged stress factors which may include harassment, bullying, relationship problems, and unemployment
  • Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs
  • Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide

historical factors

  • Previous suicide attempts
  • Family history of suicide attempts

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