Among the many risk factors for suicide, a history of mental illness is particularly significant. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition, and 90% may have experienced symptoms of a mental health condition.
But mental illness is far from the only thing that increases a person’s risk for suicide. According the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individual, relationship, community and societal factors can all play a role in suicide risk.
None of these factors exist in a vacuum, and many of them are especially prevalent among individuals living with serious mental illnesses, compounding the risk they face. These factors include:
- Individual factors including job loss, financial struggles, substance use and being a victim of violence
- Relationship factors such as loss of relationships and isolation
- Community factors like lack of access to healthcare and discrimination
- Societal factors including stigma
But countering these risks are protective factors, and many of them are found at the Well Community by people who have especially great needs for preventative support. Here’s how.
Individual Protective Factors
The CDC highlights three personal factors that protect against suicide risk:
- Effective coping and problem-solving skills
- Reasons for living (for example, family, friends, pets, etc.)
- Strong sense of cultural identity
At the Well Community, members glean the benefits of all three of these factors. Through life-skills training they gain strategies and tools that help them address challenges. Through the friendships they make, they glean connection and acceptance that foster a sense of purpose. And, as they experience the Well as the place where they belong, they benefit from their identities as valued members of the group.
Relationship Protective Factors
Two relationship factors are included on the CDC’s list:
- Support from partners, friends and family
- Feeling connected to others
These factors are often especially hard to come by for those dealing with life-altering mental illnesses as these conditions can impact a person’s ability to form and maintain the kinds of connections with others that offer vital support. But at the Well Community, members receive support from multiple sources—from one another, from staff and from caring volunteers. And, as they share their struggles with one another, they build a strong sense of connection.
Community Protective Factors
Closely connected to individual and relationship factors are community factors. These include feeling connected to school, community and other social institutions, and the availability of consistent and high-quality physical and behavioral healthcare.
In addition to the connection members feel at the Well, they benefit from case management services that help them access resources and stick with their treatment plans. From help with signing up for benefits to assistance in paying for public transportation so they can see a doctor, these services help them pursue stability.
Societal Protective Factors
The CDC also reports that reduced access to means of suicide as well as cultural, religious or moral objections to suicide serve as protective factors. Well Community members benefit from a culture where each person’s life is deeply valued, and we’re grateful for the many in our broader community who reflect value to our members through their generosity and service.
Just as the risk factors for suicide don’t exist in a vacuum, the things that counter them work together to affirm and preserve life. As Well Community members experience so many of these preventative factors, we’re grateful to be able to provide a place where they are supported and valued.
Your generosity will help us continue to come alongside Well Community members in ways that affirm life. Give now.