National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center

Youth Suicide Risk Factors

(Printable Version)

Risk factors for suicide include:

• Previous suicide attempts - Teens that have attempted suicide in the past are much more likely than other teens to attempt suicide again in the future. Approximately a third of teen suicide victims have made a previous suicide attempt.^[1]
• Depression and/or alcohol or substance abuse - Over 90% of teen suicide victims have a mental disorder, such as depression, and/or a history of alcohol or drug abuse.^[2]
• Family history of mental disorders, substance abuse, or suicide - Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who attempted or committed suicide. Many of the mental illnesses, such as depression, that contribute to suicide risk appear to have a genetic component.^[3]
• Stressful situation or loss - Teens who kill themselves almost always have serious problems, such as depression or substance abuse. When they experience losses or certain stressful situations, it can trigger a suicide attempt. Such stressful situations include: getting into trouble at school or with the police; fighting or breaking up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend; and fighting with friends.^[4,5]
• Exposure to other teenagers who have died by suicide - Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen, or heard about other suicide attempts.^[8,9,10,11]

Other risk factors include a history of physical and/or sexual abuse, poor communication with parents, incarceration, and lack of access or an unwillingness to seek mental health treatment.

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1. Shaffer, D., Gould, M. S., Fisher, P., Trautment, P., Moreau, D., Kleinman, M., & Flory, M. (1996). Psychiatric diagnosis in child and adolescent suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 339-348
2. Shaffer, D., Craft, L. (1999). Methods of adolescent suicide prevention. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60,(Suppl. 2), 70-74.
3. Sorenson, S.B., Rutter, C.M. (1991). Transgenerational patterns of suicide attempt. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 861-866.
4. de Wilde, E. J., Kienhorst, I. C., Diekstra, R. F., & Wolters, W. H. (1992). The relationship between adolescent suicidal behavior and life events in childhood and adolescence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 45-51.
5. Brent, D.A., Perper, J.A., Moritz, G., Baugher, M., Schweers, J., & Roth, C. (1993). Firearms and adolescent suicide: A community case-control study. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 147, 1066-1071.
6. Gould, M. S., Fisher, P., Parides, M., Flory, M., & Shaffer, D. (1996). Psychosocial risk factors of child and adolescent completed suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 1155-1162.
7. Brent, D. A., Baugher, M., Bridge, J., Chen, T., & Chiappetta, L. (1999). Age and sex-related risk factors for adolescent suicide. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, 38, 1497-1505.
8. Hayes, L. M. (2000). Suicide prevention in juvenile facilities. Juvenile Justice, 7(1)
9. Gould, M. S., Fisher, P., Parides, M., Flory, M., & Shaffer, D. (1996). Psychosocial risk factors of child and adolescent completed suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 1155-1162.
10. U.S Public Health Service (1999). The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, p. 9. Washington, D.C.

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The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last Updated: 1/4/2008