Person with parent that committed suicide, more likely to do it themselves??

I didn't really know where to put this but... Ijust wondered if anyone thought or if anything had been proven to do with people with direct family (parents, grandparents) that commited suicide, were more susceptible to it themselves? As in, the likelihood of someone committing suicide that had a parent that committed suicide is bigger than someone committing suicide that didn't... oh and I don't mean the effects the suicide would have or being around a suicidal person, I guess I mean genes or if it was hereditary. I don't know really, I guess I'm just wondering.

Very loaded question. I can offer what I believe. I believe that to one who is familiar with suicide/attempted suicide/suicide threats/thoughts, this is a more visible option. The awareness of suicide is stronger, understood more thoroughly. Therefore, the faith that suicide exists is more powerful in these individuals. That said, one who is not familiar with suicide, can and does become acquainted with the concept. The thought may cross one's mind, no matter what your life and history have been. The likelihood that anyone becomes what they see and hear and know, remains an individual choice. For example, one who grows up in the jungle, who witnesses exotic creatures, the wonders of nature few eyes have seen. Will he choose to remain a jungle man/woman, when coming of age? His family has always lived there. It is all he knows. Can he handle life in another environment? IT is completely up to him/her. If an opportunity arises for that one to be translated to another country etc. will the person be likely to accept that opportunity? Or reject it? It is a decision. What influences our decisions does not have the power to make our decisions for us. Hope this helps! Sincerely, Glinda Gail

There are some mental illnesses that seem to run in families and it is possible that if one family member had an illness that led to suicide another member may also have that same illness. However having the same illness does not mean that both persons will commit suicide. The life circumstances of each person will differ and the decision is up to each. There is no reason to believe that a person is predisposed to suicide because he or she shares the same illness as a family member who did commit suicide.

I don't think having a parent who committed suicide creates a genetic risk factor that makes their child more likely to commit suicide. However the child might have a per-disposition for the disorders the parent had that maybe contributed to their suicide. The child developing the same disorders would increase their risk for suicide.

So basically if a childs parent commits suicide due to say depression, it is likely the child could get depression based on genetic risk factors and that could put them at a higher risk for suicide.

I agree 100% with the above posters. Even if the child inherited the mental illness, i.e. depression, he/she still has choices. I don't believe that he/she is predisposed to suicide any more than anyone else in the general population.

I wouldn't worry about it if suicide is in your family. Breathe easy and have a great life! You can even with depression! Hugs, Lee

Well statistically mental illness does increase ones suicide risk compared to the general population. But mental illness certainly does not have to lead to suicide.

I just found it hard to get my head around the fact that my biological father, that I had no idea even existed (thought step dad was real dad) until a few days ago, committed suicide as well, as i have tried to many, many times. but he wasn't diagnosed with anything. i just found it hard to believe that it wasn't something interlinked.. i don't know really

Well, mental illness is definitely genetic. So even though you say he didn't have a diagnosis it is likely that he had some form of mental illness if he committed suicide. If you have a mental illness you are more likely to commit suicide. I am not a doctor or don't konw that for sure, but I'm pretty sure that is true... That is a huge piece of news you just received, so sorry to hear about that. I hope you have some support in your life to work through this, and please keep posting here!

My dad committed suicide in our house. Additionally, a cousin, grandfather, and uncle of mine have committed suicide, and that's assuming others haven't. Both my mother's and father's side of the family have had members commit suicide.

I don't think suicide is connected like you ask in the OP. Personally, if anything, I think suicide is the result of a combination of issues, both environmental and biological, when everything becomes to difficult to deal with. My dad didn't commit suicide until a year after I was institutionalized for attempted suicide myself, but then both my dad and myself had disabilities and abusive upbringings.

Difficult question to answer but I don't think suicide is that interlinked.