Common risk factors counselors should assess for suicide include:

Prepare for the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Exam with essential resources and insights. Utilize multiple choice questions, flashcards, and study tips to confidently tackle your licensing test.

In suicide risk assessment, focus on factors that signal current danger and the likelihood of acting on thoughts. The strongest indicators include having a history of prior suicide attempts, having a concrete plan with a specific means, and access to lethal means, because these details raise immediacy of risk. Substance use can heighten impulsivity and reduce judgment, while hopelessness often reflects a desire to escape pain. Psychiatric illness elevates risk, and recent losses or major stressors can trigger crises. Social isolation further increases risk by limiting protective supports. When these factors are present, it guides safety planning, closer monitoring, and steps to reduce access to means. The other options don’t fit because age, height, and eye color aren’t reliable risk signals; personal hobbies and dietary preferences don’t inform risk; and employment status alone is far too narrow to capture the complexity of suicide risk.