Risk factors Individual Factors		There are many factors that may play a role in adolescent suicide. Loss is the cornerstone of suicide attempts in the adolescent age group. This can be related to the death/loss of a parent, loss of a relationship or loss of "face" in the form of humiliation, either from poor grades or trouble with the law. These patients may not have developed adequate coping mechanisms and they may never be able to fully recover from such an incident. There may be environmental or family stressors, such as domestic violence or the teen may have been subjected to sexual/physical abuse. Remember that these children are very impulsive by the very fact that they are adolescents. They may find themselves being anxious or hopeless about a situation and they often want to end a painful,albeit temporary, situation. They may not realize that the actions they take may be so permanent, so deadly. Adolescents who regularly use alcohol or drugs are more impulsive, less inhibited and have impaired judgment. A depressed teen with suicidal ideation may likely attempt suicide when intoxicated. A suicidal teen with a previous attempt is more likely to successfully complete suicide when intoxicated, perhaps using a more dangerous/lethal modality. It cannot be overemphasized that the single most important risk factor for completed suicide is a previous suicide attempt. Never underestimate non-lethal attempts, self-inflicted wounds or so-called "suicide gestures". They need to be taken seriously!! Another important point is that whenever there is a successful suicide in a community, one must be concerned about other youths, perhaps friends or acquaintances also attempting suicide, the so-called "contagion effect". It is important to screen adolescents, as part of the HEADDSSS interview, for their sexual orientation. Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are at increased risk for depression and, consequently, at increased risk for suicide. Up to 42% of these youth report suicidal ideation. They often feel that they don't fit into their community at school and may be unsupported at home as well. One in four of these youths reported a suicide attempt, according to a large study. Other contributing factors for suicidal behavior might include genetics, as is often the case with inherited mood disorders or family history of depression/anxiety. In utero exposures to alcohol or drugs may lead to an increased level of impulsivity. Return to top of page