Why People Die by Suicide

Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, with one person dying by suicide every 11 minutes. It can be difficult to understand why people commit suicide. However, suicide causes include a history of trauma, life challenges, and mental illness.

The language people use to talk about suicide matters. Experts advise against using the phrase "commit" to talk about suicide. Use more neutral phrases, like "die by suicide" or "took their own life." Saying someone "committed" suicide stigmatizes the act of dying by suicide. This language makes it sound as if the person committed a crime.

It can be important to know the signs of suicide ideation. Understanding why people contemplate and die by suicide can help people act compassionately toward and better understand the pain of people who have suicide ideation. This information also helps people comfort those who have lost someone to suicide. Read on to learn why people die by suicide and how to help.

What Are Suicidal Feelings?

Suicidal ideation, or having suicidal thoughts and urges, is very common. It's estimated that millions of people consider suicide, plan a suicide attempt, or attempt suicide and survive.

Keep in mind that there are no "typical" suicidal feelings since everyone who has suicidal ideation is different. Common suicidal feelings include:

• Being a burden or victim
• Desire to escape from psychological or physical pain
• Guilt
• Helplessness or hopelessness
• Loneliness
• Loss
• Rejection
• Shame

Possible Causes 

It's often unclear what leads to suicide. Some people who have attempted suicide or have had suicidal thoughts can help us understand why they wanted to end their life.

It's important to know that dying by suicide is not caused by weakness, a personality flaw, or selfishness. These are stigmatized explanations of why suicide happens and can discourage people with suicidal ideation from asking for help.

Circumstantial Challenges

Challenges and stressors can lead to suicidal thoughts and increase a person's risk of dying by suicide. This risk is especially true if a person lacks the skills or social support to cope with stress.

Examples of challenging situations include:

• Dealing with the death of a loved one
• Facing legal challenges
• Going through a breakup or losing a significant relationship
• Losing a job
• Overwhelming financial troubles

Feelings of Hopelessness

People who have suicidal ideation can feel hopeless and pessimistic about the future. Feeling like you are a burden to the people in your life or like you do not belong anywhere in the world are two other powerful emotions associated with suicide.

It's typical to experience an occasional feeling of hopelessness, but people at risk for suicide are more likely to experience rumination. This causes you to get stuck on repetitive, negative feelings or have recurring thoughts about death.

History of Trauma

Experiencing trauma can significantly affect you at any age. Childhood trauma is one of the most significant long-term risk factors for suicide.

Examples of childhood trauma include:

• Bullying
• Emotional neglect
• Physical abuse
• Losing a parent
• Sexual assault

These risk factors are accumulative: The more traumatic life events you experience, the higher your risk of attempting suicide. Trauma can impact people long into adulthood. Complications include anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Identity

Suicide does not discriminate when it comes to identity, but gender, race, sexual orientation, and age impact suicide risk. Women attempt suicide more often than men, but men die by suicide at higher rates. Most suicides, across all genders, occur between the ages of 25–44.

Age-related risks differ across ethnicities. Black and Hispanic populations, for example, are more likely to die by suicide at earlier ages than White populations.

Certain marginalized communities, like the LGBTQ+ community, have a higher risk for suicide than others. Up to 43% of transgender people have reported attempting suicide. People with disabilities are three times more likely to report suicidal ideation than those without disabilities. Veterans, people who live in rural areas, and Indigenous communities are also disproportionately impacted by suicide.

It's important to note that having an identity included above is not a suicide risk factor in itself. People from marginalized communities may experience bullying, discrimination, exclusion, lack of access to resources, and stigma, all of which can increase suicide risk.

Mental Illness

Mental illness can increase the risk of dying by suicide, but the relationship between the two is not always that simple. It can be helpful to look at how mental illness affects a person's quality of life.

Some ways that mental illness impacts suicide risk include:

• Decreased quality of life due to increased stress (e.g., being unable to maintain a job)
• Difficulty maintaining relationships
• Feeling isolated, lonely, or misunderstood
• Increased impulsivity, which may occur in those with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
• Lack of social support or feeling like you do not have anybody to go to
• Unequal access to mental healthcare and treatment

Some mental health conditions, like depression and substance use disorder (SUD), are most commonly associated with suicide. Other mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and personality disorders, may also increase suicide risk.

Risk Factors 

Part of what makes suicide so complicated is that no single factor can predict who will die by suicide. Recognizing possible signs of suicidal thoughts and screening people for suicidal ideation can help better understand the risk.

People who die by suicide are likely exposed to biological, environmental, and social risk factors that make them vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Risk factors may include:

• A family history of mental illness, substance use, or suicide
• Age (e.g., 15–24 or older than 60)
• Easy access to materials and methods that can end your life
• Family violence (e.g., child or sexual abuse)
• Mental illness and chronic pain
• Previous self-injury behavior
• Previous suicide attempts
• Recently getting out of prison
• Stressful life events
• Substance use disorder (SUD)
• The stigma around mental health and reaching out for support

There's so much more to learn about suicide and how to prevent suicide deaths. Additional risk factors may be added as new research comes out.

Warning Signs 

A person may display warning signs before a suicide attempt, including:

• Changes in eating and sleep habits
• Finding access to lethal materials and methods 
• Hopelessness
• Increased alcohol and drug use
• Isolating themself
• Making plans and needing to get their affairs in order
• Severe mood swings
• Talking about being in pain, feeling like a burden, or wanting to die
• Withdrawing from relationships
• Worsening anxiety

What To Do if Someone Is Considering Suicide

Here are some things you can do if someone you love is experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges:

• Do not panic: Suicidal thoughts exist on a spectrum. Having a loved one open up about their suicidal thoughts does not always mean they are in immediate danger. Ask if they have a plan or access to items they may use to harm themselves. This information can help you understand their level of risk.
• Encourage them to access crisis resources: You can encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or text HOME to 741741 to access the Crisis Text Line. They can chat with a trained crisis counselor who can help figure out the appropriate next step. You can also call these crisis resources yourself if you are concerned about a loved one's safety.
• Listen to them: Sitting with someone in pain can be powerful. You likely will not be able to solve all the factors contributing to their suicidal thoughts in one conversation, but do not dismiss the power of listening. Feeling connected to someone or something can temporarily heal feelings of hopelessness.
• Remove any lethal means from the home: Consider removing or securing any dangerous items in your home if you live in the same space as someone with suicidal ideation. This could look like locking up a gun, discarding sharp objects from the kitchen, or even removing medications from the house.

Additional resources that can help you support a loved one are available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Samaritans. Local resources may also be available but differ based on your home city or state. You may search online for local resources that can support you or your loved one.

A Quick Review

Suicide is a public health issue that affects millions of people, yet so many conversations about suicide are riddled with misunderstanding and shame. There's still so much to learn about why people die by suicide and how people can prevent suicides from occurring.

Suicide is complicated and is often due to many factors working together. A history of trauma, life challenges, and mental illness can all make someone more likely to die by suicide. There are some ways you can support someone who is suicidal, such as helping them access crisis resources, listening to them, and removing dangerous items.