Examining Suicide and its Warning Signs and Determinants in a County of Illinois, 2014 to 2020: Implications for Future Research and Prevention

This study is to examine the trend in suicide over the last 12 years in a county of IL; establish warning signs leading up to suicide; identify major risk factors of suicide among the decedents; as well as explore preventative measures for future suicide interventions. It’s a mixed-methods retrospective cross-sectional study. A total of 264 existing suicide case files between 2014 and 2020 were reviewed. Based on the current literature, the suicide data collection instrument was developed to include four sections: demographics, medical history, warning signs, and risks of suicide. A total of 96 variables were included to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. From 2014 to 2020, a total of 264 suicide deaths occurred in the county with the highest number in 2017 and lowest in 2010. Approximately 77.3% of the suicide deaths were males and 81.1% were non-veterans. About 31.4% of the cases left a suicide note; 22.1% had previously attempted suicide; and 49.2% had previous suicide ideation. About 39.4% of the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds, 39.4% were caused by suffocation, and 15.5% were caused by poisoning. More than half of the cases (58.3%) had a mental illness, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Nearly 45.5% of the cases were taking prescription medications. Roughly 41.7% of the cases indicated they were in a troubled relationship, 33.0% indicated they could be grieving the loss of parents, significant others, children, and siblings. Only 23.9% of the cases had received suicide prevention treatment, such as hospitalization or admittance to a mental health center, prior to their suicide death. Future endeavors should consider developing suicide prevention strategies/interventions within the domains of the Social Ecological Model, including building social capital, issuing temporary firearms restraining orders, and establishing community-based suicide prevention training/screening programs.