The following is a list of risk factors that will heighten an individual’s chance of getting depression and considering suicide as a valid option. A person could have one or more of the risk factors to be considered vulnerable, though, it’s often a combination.

Factors that raise the likelihood of depression and suicide

1) Dealing with difficult life circumstances:

• Having a history of trauma or abuse and not having dealt with it using therapeutic tools
• Major financial loss
• Job loss
• Loss of valuable relationship
• The death of a close loved one

2) Actions that can worsen mood and lead to major depression:

• Abusing substances like alcohol and drugs
• Having already tried to commit suicide makes you more prone to considering it as an option faster than other people
• Not eating enough daily calories or carbohydrates (which are important for brain energy)
• Eating too many processed foods and sugars
• Not getting enough physical exercise
• Spending too much time alone (up to three days without seeing or speaking to anyone)
• Doing something you deeply believes goes against your morality – what you believe is right or wrong. If you’ve done something you consider bad it could cause you a great deal of emotional pain. It could be a severe as committing a crime, cheating on a partner or even having sex if you are raised in a religion

3) Environments that can increase the risk of depression and/or suicide:

• Family history of mental health issues or suicide attempts
• Living in household of trauma or abuse or being in an environment (ie. school or work) where you feel trauma regularly
• Easy to access lethal means like guns or drugs or dangerous objects
• Living in an area where local suicides have occurred
• Lack of social support and sense of isolationLack of health care, especially mental health and substance abuse treatment
• Not having financial stability or living in poverty
• Cultural and religious beliefs, such as the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma
• Exposure to others who have died by suicide (in real life or via the media and Internet)

4) Having an underlying medical disorder or mental illness that’s affecting mood:

• Mental disorders, particularly mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and certain personality disorders
• Major physical illnesses
• Illness that has you deal with daily physical pain

5) Having a weak emotional IQ:

• Never having learned how to properly deal with your emotions. It’s a learned skill that isn’t taught in schools or taught to parents.
• Believing there is something wrong with asking for help, so you try to do it on your own and don’t get very far.
• If you’ve been put down and taught that you aren’t good enough you may have very low self-esteem.