Question: What's the most common reason for suicide

Laura Hemming answered on 27 Jun 2018:

Unfortunately we don’t really know what the most common reason is for suicide! In fact, a meta-analysis last year (link below) found that after 50 years of suicide research, we’re still no closer really to figuring out what is the biggest predictor of suicide (sigh!).

However most people approach suicide from a biopsychosocial approach. This approach suggests that there are biological factors (such as chemical imbalances in the brain), psychological factors (such as low self-esteem or hopelessness) and social factors (such as social isolation or poverty), all of which contribute towards suicide. It is generally thought that a combination of these things can lead somebody to feel suicidal, rather than just one factor alone.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54de6056e4b0409b0654ceb4/t/584177d537c581d3f25b1bfb/1480685526575/Franklin+et+al.+2016+%28overall+meta+of+STB+risk+factors%29.pdf