Crossing The Invisible Line: Distinguishing factors that facilitate the shift from suicidal ideation to behaviour

Abstract

Suicide represents a serious global public health concern and is among the leading causes of death worldwide, with Iceland being no exception. Although a substantial proportion of individuals experience suicidal ideation at some point during their lifetime, only a subset attempt suicide. Consequently, the present study aimed to identify factors that differentiate individuals who experience suicidal ideation only from those who engage in suicide attempts. Given the limited amount of suicide-related research conducted in Iceland, this study utilized a sample of Icelandic citizens aged 18 to 80 years. Participants were surveyed on a range of life experiences and subsequent outcomes, including whether they had ever experienced suicidal ideation or attempted suicide. The findings indicated that substance abuse, a history of sexual assault, experiences of emotional abuse, exposure to toxic chemicals, clinical depression and self-harming behaviour were associated with an increased risk of suicide attempts. Several limitations should be noted. These include the absence of questions addressing race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which may represent important distinguishing factors, as well as the lack of age categorization by decades. Despite these limitations, the findings underscore the need for further research on suicide and its associated risk factors within the Icelandic population.