Protective Factors for Suicide Ideation
Giving people the settings and the skills that can prevent suicide.
Protective factors are skills and community contexts that give individuals an advantage. The more protective factors, the less likely the person will experience hopelessness and suicide ideation. Protective factors are not guarantees, and they do not make a person invulnerable to suicide. However, for most people, protective factors lower the risk of suicide ideation.
Protective Factors: Individual Skills
Good skills in problem-solving and decision-making
Hope (the ability to find ways around obstacles)
A strong sense of purpose and meaning
Strong resiliency skills
Emotional stability
Stress management skills
Spirituality
Involvement in hobbies, activities, and volunteer activities
Physical self-care practices
Protective Factors: Family and Friends
Strong relationships with family, children, parents, and guardians
Strong relationships with friends
A capacity to love
Connection to a faith community
Support from others after mental health issues
Protective Factors: Community-Based
Access to health care providers
Reducing stigma about mental illness
Gatekeeper training
Reducing access to lethal means
Organizations that are sensitive to mental health issues
Community connectedness
Identification and proactive involvement with vulnerable populations and those at risk
Programs in the community to reduce substance abuse
Postvention and post-trauma programs
Follow-up connections with those most at risk, particularly those being discharged from a psychiatric hospitalization
Stability in living situations
Psychological and physical safety
Responsible media reporting on suicides
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More Mental Health and Psychology Resources on Amazon Kindle
Suicide Prevention and Mental Health: What Community Leaders Need to Know
Coming soon!
Mental Health in Your Community: A Planning Workbook for Leaders
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Meaning in Life: An Anchor for the Uncertain Journey
Strategy 101: An Introduction and Guide
Curiosity: A Path to Wellness
See Table of Contents and Excerpt
How to Write a Literature Review
How to Write a Literature Review: A Workbook in Six Steps
I’ll Start Writing Tomorrow: The Psychology of Thesis Procrastination and the Three Reasons Why It’s So Difficult to Finish That Final Paper
Getting Along: Teaching Social Skills to Children and Youth (with Laurie Ollhoff)
See Table of Contents and Excerpt
Buy for $3.99 on Amazon Kindle, or used paperbacks may be available
Keys to Quality After-School Time (with Laurie Ollhoff)