What puts a person at risk for suicide?

• Depression or other mental health disorders
  
  
• Substance abuse
  
  
• Family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
  
  
• Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse
  
  
• Firearms in the home
  
  
• Family history of suicide
  
  
• Exposure to suicide of family members, peers or celebrities
  
  
• Gender — occurs in almost four times as many males as females
  
  
• Race — more common in American Indians and whites, but the number is increasing among blacks
  
  
• Age — more common in people under the age of 24 and 65 and older
  
  
• Incarceration
  
  
• Previous attempts
  

Suicide is not a normal response to these risks and can often be prevented by appropriate treatment for the mental or substance abuse disorder.