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choose life: A National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland
APPENDIX 2 CAUSES AND RISKS OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIOUR
There are a range of factors which put a person at risk of suicide. From our consultation exercises and examination of current research the following four groups of risk factors have been identified. This list is by no means exhaustive.
Risks and pressures within Scottish society:
availability of, and easy access to, methods for suicide
changing trends in society such as increase in marital breakdown, divorce and single person households
adverse labour market conditions such as insecurity of employment
adverse economic conditions such as level of unemployment and business confidence
high prevalence of alcohol problems and substance misuse
social values and attitudes to mental illness and mental health, suicidal behaviour, gender stereotyping, racism, domestic abuse, stigma, poverty and inequality
discrimination and stigma suffered by people with mental health problems
irresponsible reporting and representation of suicidal behaviour by the media.
Risks and pressures within communities:
low level of trust in the community such as poor social cohesion or integration
high level of social exclusion such as neighbourhood poverty and deprivation
communities which are faced with multiple disadvantages and are low on resources and resilience
feelings of fear or lack of safety
inadequate access to local services, particularly at times of crisis
isolation associated with living in rural areas.
Risks and pressures for individuals:
inadequate social support such as low levels of practical, emotional and other forms of assistance from family, friends and neighbours
socio-demographic characteristics, such as age (young-mid aged adult), gender (male), marital status (non-married), (lower) socio-economic status and (certain types of) occupation
lack of care, treatment and support towards recovery from serious recurring mental illness such as schizophrenia and depression
employment status
substance misuse and alcohol problems in particular
previous deliberate self-harm
experience of abuse (sexual and physical) or bullying
low self-esteem, lack of confidence
low educational qualifications, poor life skills and interpersonal skills
life crises, especially interpersonal loss such as bereavement or divorce, or issues relating to sexual orientation
inability to access appropriate services and support at times of need.
Quality of response from services:
insufficient focus on the identification of those at risk and assessment of their needs and treatment requirements by health, social care and other services
insufficient focus on the prevention, identification and assessment of needs and provision of care and support by services such as health, social work, education, criminal justice, housing and others.
The relationship between these factors and suicidal behaviour is complex and they should not be addressed in isolation. For example, long-term factors, such as the impact of being unemployed for over a year, should be differentiated from short-term triggers, such as recent redundancy. Therefore, we need to consider ways in which policies and actions to prevent suicide can be made sensitive to the specific circumstances and needs of particular groups on the basis of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and in particular settings such as schools, workplaces, urban and rural areas.
More information on causes, risks and protection factors in suicide prevention is available on the Public Mental Health Resource Service (see
Appendix 6).
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