What Contributes to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours?
Suicidal Behaviours are Complex
Suicidal thoughts and behaviours are multi-faceted. Different experiences, beliefs, and abilities can either decrease (protective factors) or increase (risk factors) the risk of suicide. To add to the complexity, these factors can occur at individual, social, and/or cultural levels of one’s life. The list below gives you an idea of how suicidal behaviours and thoughts is affected by a complex combinations of risk and protective factors at different domains of one’s life.
Individual Suicide Factors
What individual risk and protective factors are related to suicidal behaviours?
These factors include individual’s psychological strengths and vulnerabilities.
Risk Factors
Loneliness & Social Isolation
When a young person feels left out, disconnected, or like they don’t have anyone to talk to. They may spend a lot of time alone or feel lonely even when people are around.
Limited Coping & Problem Solving Skills
When a youth has trouble managing stress, big emotions, or everyday challenges. Problems may feel “too big,” and they may not yet have the tools to handle them in healthy ways.
Hopelessness
When a young person feels like things won’t get better or that their situation can’t change. They might feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to imagine a positive future.
Poor Self-Perception.
When a youth sees themselves negatively, believing that they’re “ not good enough,” unliked, or a burden – regardless of what others see in them.
Poor Mental Health
When a young person is struggling with emotional or mental challenges, like depression, anxiety, stress, or trauma, that makes their daily social, emotional, and academic functioning harder.
Protective Factors
Emotional Self-Control
The ability for a young person to manage strong feelings, like anger, frustration, or sadness, so they can respond to situations in calm, healthy ways.
Assertiveness, Empathy, & Resilience
Being able to speak up respectfully for oneself (assertiveness), understand how others feel (empathy), and bounce back after challenges or setbacks (resilience).
Self Regulation
A young person’s ability to pause, think, and choose their actions instead of reacting impulsively, and allows them to handle stress, follow rules, and stay focused.
Cognitive Flexibility
Being able to adjust one’s thinking, try new solutions, or look at problems from different angles. This skill helps youth adapt when things don’t go as planned.
Good Self-Esteem
When a youth feels good about who they are, recognize their strengths, and believes they are capable and worthy.
Social Suicide Factors
What social risk and protective factors are related to suicidal behaviours?
These factors involves the quality of their social network, including relationships with family, peers, and mentors.
Risk Factors
Family Dysfunction
Living in a home where there is frequent conflict, instability, poor communication, or unhealthy family dynamics can make it hard to feel safe, supported, or understood.
Experiences of Domestic Violence
Experiencing violence, threats, or abuse between family members can foster fear, stress, and emotional harm, even when a child is not the direct target.
Relationship Problems
Dealing with stressors like conflict, breakups, bullying, or tension with friends, teachers, or family can lead to feelings of pain, rejection, and social isolation.
Lack of Social Support
Without the support of trusted adults or friends to turn to for help, advice, or comfort can leave youths feeling unsupported during challenging times.
Exposure to Violence
Exposure or experiences with violence in school, community, or online can increase feelings of stress, fear, and hopelessness.
Protective Factors
Good Relationship with Adults
Having trusted, caring adults – like parents, teachers, relatives, or mentors – who listen, support and guide the young person.
Attending School
Being engaged in school, clubs, sports, or hobbies, which provides routine, purpose, connection, and positive experiences.
Supportive & Supervisory Teachers
Teachers who show care, provide guidance, set healthy boundaries, and notice when a young person needs help.
Friendly & Supportive Peers
Friends who encourage, include, and standby the young person, helping them feel connected and valued.
Reliable & Safe School Enviornment
A school that feels physically and emotionally safe, with clear rules, caring staff, and positive climate where students feel protected and respected.
Structural & Environmental Suicide Factors
What cultural risk and protective factors are related to suicidal behaviours?
These factors are embedded in the individual’s broader system including their cultural and societal contexts.
Risk Factors
Exposure to Prejudice
Experiencing prejudice, bias, or discrimination within schools, communities, or broader social environments based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or other identities. Ongoing exposure to prejudice can erode belonging, increase stress, and contribute to feelings of isolation and hopelessness.
Exposure to Violence & Aggressive Behaviours
Experiencing or witnessing violence and aggressive behaviours across personal, interpersonal, familial, school, or community context. This includes relational and social aggression (e.g., bullying, harassment, intimidation), which can increase fear, isolation, and emotional distress.
Systemic Inequity & Structural Racism
Racism embedded in laws, polices, and institutions creates unequal access to resources such as financial stability, healthcare, education, and mental health services. These inequities can limit early identification of mental health concerns and reduce access to timely and effective suicide prevention and care.
Cultural-Specific Factors, Stigma, & Help-Seeking
Culture beliefs and norms shape how young people understand emotional distress, express symptoms, and seek help. Stigma, mistrust of systems, or lack of culturally responsive services can discourage youth and families from accessing mental health support.
Acculturation Stress and Discrimination
Immigrant and refugee youth may experience acculturative stress related to adapting to a new environment. Differences in acculturation between youth and caregivers can contribute to family conflict, emotional distress, and barrier to accessing mental health services.
Discriminatory Environments
LGBTQIA2+ youths experience higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours, particularly in environments that are unsupportive, stigmatizing, or non-affirming.
Protective Factors
Access to Youth Mental & Medical Healthcare
Access to services that are evidence-based, trauma informed, and identity affirming particularly for populations that have been historically discriminated against and under resourced.
Addressing Barriers to Services
Developing services that accounts for and recognizes sociopolitical context of individual cultures in relation to suicide risk assessment and intervention.
Access to Crisis Intervention Resources
Having access to 24/7 crisis hotlines, text lines, and emergency mental health supports.
Access to School Intervention Programs
Programs including social-emotional learning (SEL), screening, and suicide prevention initiative may be essential for establishing foundation for youths to connect themselves, their community, and their land.
Life Promoting Policy Making
Public health policies that promote investment in mental health services, including prevention, early intervention, and treatment that considers systemic and structural barriers to care.
Anti-Stigma & Mental Health Promotion
Community efforts to reduce stigma and promote mental health literacy, encouraging early help-seeking across cultures.