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By Mayo Clinic staffSuicide and suicidal thoughts have numerous causes. Most often, suicidal thoughts are the result of an inability to cope when you're faced with what seems to be an overwhelming life situation — financial problems, a personal crisis, emotional turmoil and despair, for instance. If you don't have hope for the future, you may think suicide is a solution when, in fact, it's not. You may experience a sort of tunnel vision, where in the middle of a crisis you believe suicide is the only way out.
Emerging evidence suggests that there may also be a genetic link to suicide. People who complete suicide or who have suicidal thoughts or behavior are more likely to have a family history of suicide. While more research is needed to fully understand a possible genetic component, it's thought that there may be a genetic link to impulsive behavior that could lead to suicide.