Colleges and Universities

Campus Data: Risk and Protective Factors

Prevalence | Risk and Protective Factors | Consequences

Available research identifies multiple conditions and circumstances, known as risk and protective factors, that shape students' risk of suicide and mental health problems. Risk factors are associated with an increased risk of suicide, and protective factors are associated with a reduction of risk. A thorough understanding of these factors allows campuses to focus their prevention efforts, thereby reducing suicide risk and promoting positive mental health among those students most at risk.
Protective factor--self esteem; risk factor--untreated mental illnessProtective factor--close friends and family; risk factor--friends who have attempted suicideProtective factor--availability of effective treatments; risk factor--access to lethal means in the campus environmentProtective factor--campus/community collaboration around suicide prevention; risk factor--high rates of suicidal behavior in the surrounding community
Protective factor--cultural or religious beliefs discouraging suicide; risk factor--media depictions that glamorize suicide A social ecological model of behavior is a helpful way to understand different risk and protective factors. Importantly, this model suggests that different factors operate on multiple levels of influence. For example, the image to the left shows different "spheres" of influence that affect a person's mental health and behavior (Langford, 2004; Stokols, 1996).

Scroll over each sphere in the image to see an example of a risk and protective factor operating on each level.

Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide
Risk Factors Protective Factors
  • Untreated or under-treated mental illness
  • Alcohol or other drug use and abuse
  • Previous suicide attempt
  • Hopelessness
  • Impulsivity or aggressiveness
  • Barriers to effective clinical care
  • Isolation or lack of social support
  • Unsupported financial/social loss
  • Stigma associated with seeking care
  • Access to lethal means
  • Exposure to media that normalizes or glamorizes suicide
  • Strong connections to family and other supports
  • Access to effective clinical interventions
  • Restricted access to lethal means
  • Skills in problem-solving and conflict resolution
  • Frustration tolerance and ability to regulate emotions
  • Positive beliefs about future, ability to cope, and life in general
  • Cultural or religious beliefs discouraging suicide

Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2003

This section supports Objective 4.3 of the NSSP: Increase the proportion of colleges and universities with evidence-based programs designed to address serious young adult distress and prevent suicide.