Suicide prevention: Risk factors, warning signs and treatment options
9/15/2025 by Kyle Schofield, Ph.D., Anne Roche, Ph.D., L.P., Jocelyn Lebow, Ph.D., L.P., and Craig Sawchuk, Ph.D., L.P.
In 2022, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 49,476 people died by suicide that year. Suicide affects people from a wide range of age groups, races and ethnicities, gender identities and socioeconomic backgrounds. Below are recent statistics regarding suicide from the National Institute of Mental Health and the CDC:
- In 2023, an estimated 12.8 million adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide and 1.5 million adults attempted suicide.
- In 2023, people age 85 and above had the highest rates of suicide.
- In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people 10-14 and 25-34.
- Among females, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 45-64 in 2022. Among males, the suicide rate was highest for those aged 75 and older in 2022.
- American Indian or Alaska Native people had the highest rates of suicide in 2023 compared with other racial or ethnic groups.
- In 2021, 42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide, with more than half being transgender and nonbinary. Transgender and nonbinary adults also have high rates of considering suicide, and those who have been verbally harassed, physically attacked or denied equal treatment have the highest rates. Among LGBTQ youth, Native/Indigenous youth, Black youth, Latinx youth, and multiracial youth were at greater risk of attempting suicide (The Trevor Project).
The effect of suicide is profound, not only because of the thousands of lost lives each year, but also the impact on grieving family and friends who will live with the loss for the rest of their lives. Suicide prevention can and should be a priority for all of us.
Be aware of risk factors
The first step toward addressing this impact is being aware of the risk factors for suicide. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention identifies important risk factors falling into three broad categories:
- Health (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance use problems, serious medical conditions, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury).
- Social/environmental (e.g., social isolation, access to firearms and drugs, chronic stress, significant loss or major life transition, discrimination, unemployment, financial crisis, difficulty accessing healthcare, relationship problems, exposure to someone else's suicide).
- Historical (e.g., previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, childhood abuse and neglect, generational trauma).
For people from diverse identities, experiencing prejudice, discrimination and/or trauma has been associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Data indicates that American Indian/Alaska Native, LGBTQ+ and older adult populations are particularly vulnerable.
For adolescents and children, bullying — both face-to-face and cyberbullying — has been strongly correlated with suicidal thoughts and behavior. Data suggests that being the perpetrator, as well as the victim, of bullying might be linked to an increased risk of suicide in youth.
Watch for warning signs
Pay attention to certain warning signs from people who may be at risk of harming themselves:
- Changes in mood, such as severe depression, anger, anxiety, hopelessness and apathy.
- Changes in behavior, including isolation, acting impulsively, excessive substance use, deliberately searching for ways to harm themselves, saying goodbye or giving away cherished possessions, fatigue and changes in sleep patterns.
- Talking about not wanting to live, feeling hopeless that things will get better, having no reason to live or feeling they are a burden to others.
Be aware of protective factors
Protective factors, those that help to promote safety and reduce the risk of suicide, include:
- Social connections (family, friends, community).
- Cultural and spiritual beliefs.
- Access to physical and mental healthcare services.
- Problem-solving and coping skills.
- Limited access to lethal means such as firearms.
- A sense of purpose or reasons for living.
Help is always available
Reach out to others, including friends, family and healthcare professionals, to increase social support and feelings of connectedness.
Help is always available for those in immediate crisis. Call 911, go to the nearest emergency room or dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Talk with your child
For caregivers concerned that their child might be considering suicide, it can be hard to know how to respond. Bringing up your concerns with your child, including asking directly about suicide, is essential. Caregivers sometimes worry that talking about suicide can "plant ideas" in their child's head, but talking openly about your concerns and making a family-wide plan to get help is the best way to ensure your child's safety. Visit the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide website for more information.
Seek treatment
Effective treatments are available to further reduce the risk of suicide, including psychotherapy and medications. Your healthcare team can refer you to local resources. Increasing family and social support can help strengthen connections to your community, promote safety and increase a sense of meaning or purpose in life.
Educating yourself about risk factors, warning signs, protective factors and available treatments can begin a new trend toward reducing the risk of suicide.
Kyle Schofield, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychology fellow in Primary Care in Rochester and Kasson's Division of Integrated Behavioral Health at Mayo Clinic.
Anne Roche, Ph.D., L.P., is a clinical psychologist in Primary Care in Rochester and Kasson’s Division of Integrated Behavioral Health.
Jocelyn Lebow. Ph.D., L.P., is a child and adolescent psychologist in Primary Care in Rochester and Kasson's Division of Integrated Behavioral Health.
Craig Sawchuk. Ph.D., L.P., is a clinical psychologist in Primary Care in Rochester and Kasson's Division of Integrated Behavioral Health. He is the co-chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health and co-chair of Clinical Practice with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Mayo Clinic.