Suicide risk is greater where there is:
Recent loss or the break-up of a close relationship.
Current or anticipated unhappy change in health or circumstances, e.g., retirement or financial problems.
Painful and/or disabling physical illness.
Heavy use of, or dependency on alcohol/ other drugs.
History of earlier suicidal behaviour.
History of suicide in the family.
Depression.
People often show their suicidal feelings by:
Being withdrawn and unable to relate.
Having definite ideas of how to commit suicide, and maybe speaking of tidying up affairs, or giving other indications of planning suicide.
Talking about feeling isolated and lonely.
Expressing feelings of failure, uselessness or loss of self-esteem.
Constantly dwelling on problems for which there seem to be no solutions.
Expressing the lack of a supporting philosophy of life, such as a religious belief.
Source: Report of the National Task Force on Suicide