2 Reasons HSPs Have A Higher Risk Of Suicide

If self-preservation is our most basic instinct, then suicide is, at least conceptually, a grave concern. Suicide prevention requires recognizing risk factors and the people who are most vulnerable to them. This got me thinking, do Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) have a higher risk of suicide compared to people who are less sensitive?

The topic of suicide isn’t specific to those with “obvious,” tell-tale symptoms. How often do we hear grieving loved ones lament that they “had no idea” or that the deceased “had so much to live for”?

It’s no small thing that the suicide rate in the United States has steadily increased since 2000. In 2021, suicide was responsible for 48,183 deaths — a 36% increase since 2000. And another increase from 2021 to 2022 no doubt speaks to the isolation from the COVID pandemic.

What determines general risk for suicide?

Before examining reasons that Highly Sensitive People have a higher risk of suicide, we need to look at general risk factors for suicide.

When calculated against global mortality, suicide accounts for 1.4% of all deaths. That may not sound like a lot until you weigh the sheer tragedy of suicide and its more frequeny occurrence within specific populations.