Why Do People Commit Suicide?
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Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD
Information in this article may be triggering to some. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
It can be difficult to imagine what leads someone to commit suicide. There may have been no clear warning signs of their suicidal thoughts and, if the person was a friend or family member, you may wonder what clues you might have missed.
If you've ever wondered, "Why do people commit suicide?", it's important to know that, oftentimes, many factors combine to lead a person to the decision to take their own life. Here are several to consider.
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Mental Illness
The most common mental health condition behind a person's decision to commit suicide is severe depression. Depression can make people feel high levels of emotional pain and loss of hope, making them unable to see any other way to find relief than ending their own life.
An analysis of 65 studies found that 31% of people with major depressive order (MDD) have attempted suicide at some point.
Other mental illnesses that can increase the risk of suicide include:
Anxiety disorders
Schizophrenia
Related: Can You Die From Depression?
Traumatic Stress
People who've had a traumatic experience such as childhood sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse, or war trauma are at a greater risk for suicide, even many years after the trauma occurred. This risk is especially high for men who've gone through a traumatic life event.
Being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) or enduring multiple trauma events raises the risk even further. This is partly because depression is common after trauma and among those with PTSD, causing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that can lead to suicide.
Related: The Connection Between Suicide and PTSD
Substance Use and Impulsivity
Drugs and alcohol can also influence someone who is feeling suicidal, making them more impulsive and, thus, more likely to act upon their urges than they would while sober. Substance-related job or relationship loss can also contribute to a person's decision to commit suicide.
Rates of substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder are also higher among people with depression and other psychological disorders. Put these together and the risks increase.
Loss or Fear of Loss
A person may decide to take their own life when facing a loss or the fear of a loss. These situations can include:
Academic failure
Being arrested or imprisoned
Bullying (including cyberbullying), shaming, or humiliation
End of a close friendship or romantic relationship
Job loss
Loss of acceptance from friends or family due to sexual orientation
Loss of social status
Related: What Is Suicide Contagion? (And How to Prevent It)
Hopelessness
Hopelessness, either in the short-term or as a longer-lasting trait, has been found in many studies to contribute to suicidal ideation. And the higher the person's degree of hopelessness, the greater the lethality of their suicide attempt.
When people have lost all hope and don't feel able to change this, it can overshadow all of the good things in their life, making suicide seem like a viable option.
The person may be facing a social or physical challenge and see no way the situation can improve. While it might seem obvious to an outside observer that things will get better, people with depression may not be able to recognize this due to the pessimism and despair that go along with this illness.
Chronic Pain and Illness
If a person has chronic pain or illness with no hope of a cure or reprieve from suffering, suicide may seem like a way to regain dignity or control of their life. In some states, assisted suicide has been legalized or decriminalized for this very reason.
According to a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the following health conditions were associated with a higher risk of suicide:
Asthma
Back pain
Brain injury
Cancer
Congestive heart failure
Diabetes
Epilepsy
HIV/AIDS
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Migraine
Parkinson's disease
Chronic pain can also bring on anxiety and depression, which can increase the risk of suicide. According to research, more than half of people living with chronic pain have significant depression and anxiety symptoms.
Related: Chronic Disease and Mental Health
Feeling Like a Burden to Others
A person with chronic pain or a terminal illness can feel like a burden to others. They might worry that they are creating a hardship for people they love by asking for another ride to a medical appointment, more help with household duties, or assistance paying for hospital bills.
Feeling like a burden often shows up in some form of thinking "the world would be better without me." This type of rhetoric is one of the most common explanations for suicidal behavior according to the interpersonal theory of suicide.
Social Isolation
A person can become socially isolated for many reasons, including losing friends or a spouse, undergoing a separation or divorce, physical or mental illness, social anxiety, retirement, or due to a move to a new location. It can also be caused by internal factors such as low self-esteem.
Social isolation can increase a person's suicidal thoughts and behaviors and is one of the top risk factors correlated with suicidal outcomes. Isolation socially can also lead to other suicide risk factors, including loneliness, depression, and alcohol or drug misuse.
Related: Loneliness: Causes and Health Consequences
Cry for Help
Sometimes people attempt suicide not so much because they really want to die, but because they simply don't know how to get help. Mimicking the act of suicide without an intent to kill yourself is referred to as parasuicide. In cases such as these, suicide attempts become a way to demonstrate to the world just how much they are hurting.
Unfortunately, a person's cries for help sometimes prove to be fatal if they misjudge the lethality of their chosen method. People who make a failed attempt are also at a much higher risk of trying again, and their subsequent attempts are much more likely to be lethal.
Related: What Is a Suicide Pact?
Accidental Suicide
Some situations that appear to be suicide may actually be an accidental death. Risky viral trends like the choking game (also known as “pass-out challenge,” “flatliner,” and "space monkey”) where teens strangle themselves to achieve a high-like sensation and autoerotic asphyxiation are examples of suffocation suicides. Unintentional overdoses, firearm discharges, and poisonings can all also lead to accidental suicide.
A Word From Verywell
You may never know why a person committed suicide. While it might have appeared that they had everything to live for, it might not have felt that way to them.
If you are struggling with the loss of someone to suicide, a mental health professional can help. They can work with you to identify ways to get through your grief, which can help you move forward mentally and emotionally.
Read Next: What Is Grief Counseling?
