Depression risk factors
The following is a list of risk factors that will heighten an individual’s chance of getting depression and considering suicide as anoption. A person could have one 
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.