The Psychological Factors Of Suicide And Suicidal Ideation

Suicide is the act of purposely killing of oneself and considered as a serious public health issue worldwide. Most often, suicidal individuals are trying to avoid emotional or physical pain that they cannot bear; sometimes, they are very angry and take their lives to last out others (Piotrowski, N. & Hartmann, P., 2016). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that in 2014, more than 42,000 Americans took their own lives and almost half a million Americans received medical care for self-inflicted injuries. Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death for all ages in 2013. The World Health Organization reported that suicide occurs throughout the lifespan and was the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally

(Han, S., & Lee, H., 2013). We can possibly assume that suicide is not only correlated with individual factors, but also with family risk factors and environmental risk factors as well. These include living in poverty, family separation and exposure to abuse/neglect. Although, the above factors seem to be relatively associated with suicidal ideation, the various psychological factors also play an important role in understanding the psychological wellbeing of those who have the potential to be involved in suicide and suicidal ideation (Ibrahim, N., et. al., 2014). In understanding of these factors, it helps us determine the tendency of a person to engage with some suicide-related behavior or suicidal

The definitions of the following major psychological factors were retrieved from National Institute of Mental Health for further analyzations. People who are experiencing anxiety tend to have the following symptoms which includes: exclusion of oneself on places with other people, experiencing hard time making friends or keeping friends, excessive self-consciousness in front of other people and worried about feeling humiliated, embarrassed or rejected. Depression is a common but serious mood disorder which causes severe symptoms that affect a person’s feeling, thinking and everyday living. In addition, it can happen at any age, but often begins in adulthood. Lastly, stress can be defined as the brain’s response to any demand, which can be positive or negative. It may be re-occurring, short-term or long-term which may include moving to another home, commuting at school/work, watching a funny/sad movie. Some were considered major, which includes exposure to violence, divorce, or serious illness.

The purpose of the study is to assess the relation between suicidal ideation and some major psychological factors such as depression, stress, and anxiety in the general population. Understanding the psychological factors is certainly important for the prevention and treatment in relation to suicidal thoughts and suicidal behaviors. This study also