Risk & Protective Factors
Suicide is a complex problem for which there is no single cause, no single reason. People of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk. It results from a complex interaction of biological, genetic, psychological, social, cultural and environmental factors.
While it is difficult to explain why some people decide to commit suicide while others in a similar or even worse situation do not, an understanding of the risk and protective factors can guide timely and appropriate interventions. This is important since most suicides can be prevented.
This section presents information on the risk and protective factors for self-harm/ suicide.
Watch the introductory video below on risk and protective factors for self-harm/ suicide.
The risk and protective factors for self-harm/suicide can be categorized as individual, inter-personal, community and societal. The factors across these categories contribute to the risk of self-harm/ suicide. These factors interact with each other as well. The final outcome is shaped by a complex interplay of these factors. However, these categories are indicative and not all such factors are listed here. Moreover, the relative contribution of each of these factors varies across persons and even within the same person at different points in time.
Case vignette
Given below is the story of a young man. Read the information and try to identify the risk and protective factors for self-harm in him.
Click on all the risk factors that you could identify in the given case vignette
Click on all the protective factors that you could identify in the given case vignette
Warning signs of Self-harm/ Suicide
Warning signs indicate that someone may be at immediate risk for suicide. The more warning signs someone exhibits, the greater the risk of suicide.
Click on the buttons below to learn about these warning signs
- Preventing suicide (2000). A resource for primary health care workers. Department of Mental Health, World Health Organization; Geneva. WHO/MNH/MBD/00.4
- mhGAP Intervention Guide e-version. World Health Organization. Available at https://www.paho.org/mhgap/en/
