Frameworks - Community Risk Factors* for Suicide
See also: Individual Risk Factors, Individual Protective Factors, and Community Protective Factors.
What is a community risk factor* for suicide?
Community risk factors are characteristics associated with a health risk (suicide). These community risk factors may indicate suicide risk, as well as risk for a variety of other health problems, including depression and substance abuse. Just as each individual or family have their own unique risk factors, each community also has its own unique risk factors that have the potential to harm youth or break down the fabric of the community. This is by no means a comprehensive list, rather it is an attempt to have you begin thinking about what factors are in your community that present problems for youth and are likely to increase their risk of suicide. Once these factors have been identified, you might begin to think about how some of them might be reduced or changed. Check with your librarian, or your child’s guidance counselor about who to contact for more information or to get involved. Many of the risk factors listed are systemic and would require a whole community/county or region to address. There may already be existing groups or coalitions working to address these issues. Get involved! We all have a responsibility to make the communities we live and work in a better place.
*Although these community risk factors are primarily youth-specific, positively changing the culture of a community benefits all community members, and can therefore be beneficial for adults who may be at risk, too.
**Please note that (unlike the individual risk factors) these risk factors do not necessarily statistically increase the risk of suicide, rather they are gathered from more anecdotal beliefs of how negative factors in a community can increase risk.
Community Risk Factors for Suicide
• History of youth suicide
• Other high profile traumatic deaths or incidents
• Public incidents of self injurious behavior
• High levels of unemployment
• High number of families on Medicaid
• Uninsured families/youth
• Single parent homes
• Property tax base inadequate to support town/schools
• Non-diversified job force
• Potential loss of jobs/major employers
• Lack of availability of health care/pediatricians
• Easy access to illicit drugs
• Easy access to alcohol for minors
• Lack of substance abuse prevention programs
• Lack of substance abuse treatment services
• Elevated school drop out rates
• Lack of a comprehensive health education curriculum in schools
• Poor or no public transportation
• High rate of juvenile delinquency
• High rate of domestic violence
• High rate of violent crime
• Primary care providers who fail to screen for mental illness, substance abuse
• Low rate of parental involvement at school (or at home with youth)
• Few or no afternoon or weekend social recreational opportunities for youth
• Sensational media coverage of violence and negative community attributes
• Negative perception/trust of law enforcement agencies
• Lack of available mental health services
• Easy access to lethal weapons
• Lack of culturally/linguistically appropriate services to minorities or others
• Lack of afternoon/weekend youth recreation programs
• Lack of public transportation
• High rate of teen pregnancy
• Presence of youth gangs
• Bullying and harassment in schools/community
• Negative community self image
• Transient population
• Homelessness
• High incidence of child abuse/neglect
• Lack of parental involvement in schools
• Lack of student involvement in community service projects
• Lack of youth focused activities
