CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. The Nature and Scope of Suicide
2. Recognizing the Progressive Development of Suicide
3. Substance Abuse as a Major Contributor to Suicide
4. Suicide Across the Life Span
5. Special Populations and Suicide Risk
6. Prevention and Early Intervention for Suicide and Substance Abuse Problems

Supplements
References
Resources

Holding the Lifeline
A Guide to Suicide Prevention

Inherited Risks

Suicide can cluster in families with a history of psychiatric problems, substance abuse disorders, and/or completed suicide. Studies of twins show that identical twins have a greater probability of both completed and attempted suicide than do fraternal twins (where other suicide risk factors also exist). ref

There is strong evidence of the intergenerational transmission of behavior from one generation to the next. Research shows that a child with a parent or parents with a mental health or substance abuse problem and/or a history of suicide is at more risk for the same behaviors. ref

Other characteristics, such as aggressiveness, impulsivity, tendency toward violence, lack of attention, may be genetically based. Other socialized behaviors are learned and are behaviorally modifiable. Identifying the areas that put a person at risk and fostering buffers for addressing them can help promote healthy development.

Despite the influence of family history, however, research also shows that family history does not predetermine outcomes. If that were the case, even more people would struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, and suicide. Nor is suicide a typical response to stress factors in life, such as divorce, job loss, or other difficulties. George Vaillant, M.D., author of a landmark research project, "The Study of Adult Development," tracked 824 individuals over a period of decades, from the teenage years until death.ref This study showed how people surmounted pitfalls and setbacks, including poverty, poor education, abusive parents, substance abuse, and poor health. The results of the study demonstrate how individuals have the ability to steer the course of their lives, in spite of factors that put them at risk for unhealthy behaviors, including suicide and substance abuse.