How to Say It: Soo-uh-sid-ul I-de-a-shun
Thinking about or planning to commit suicide is known as suicidal ideation.
The causes are not the same in each person. A person may be having problems coping with stress. They may also feel overwhelmed and hopeless. Or they may have a substance use problem or a mental illness.
Things that may raise the risk are mental health problems, such as:
Other things that may raise the risk are:
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A person may:
Other problems may be:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms. You will also be asked about your physical and mental health history. The doctor may also ask your family questions. A mental health exam may be done to look for any other issues.
Treatment will be needed right away. A person may need to stay in a care center. Individual, family, or group therapy may be used to help manage unhelpful thinking.
The goals of treatment are to:
To lower the risk of this problem:
Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians
https://www.familydoctor.org
National Alliance on Mental Illness
https://www.nami.org
Canadian Mental Health Association
https://cmha.ca
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
Klonsky ED, Qiu T, et al. Recent advances in differentiating suicide attempters from suicide ideators. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017 Jan;30(1):15-20 .
Major depressive disorder (MDD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/major-depressive-disorder-mdd. Updated January 19, 2018. Accessed April 18, 2018.
Risk of suicide. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Available at: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Suicide. Accessed September 4, 2020.
Suicidal ideation and behavior. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/suicidal-ideation-and-behavior. Accessed September 4, 2020.
Suicidal thoughts. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy website. Available at: http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/Content/Consumer_Updates/Suicidal_Thoughts.aspx. Accessed September 4, 2020.
Warning signs of suicide. Suicide Awareness Voices of Education site. Available at: https://save.org/about-suicide/warning-signs-risk-factors-protective-factors. Accessed September 4, 2020.
We can all prevent suicide. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Available at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/how-we-can-all-prevent-suicide. Accessed September 4, 2020.
Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD Last Updated: 2/19/2021
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