Summary: Yes, living alone with depression or anxiety can increase suicide risk. A population-level study conducted over 12 years shows that your living situation – i.e. whether you live alone or with others – can significantly increase suicide risk.
Key Points:
- Suicidality is a growing problem in the U.S. and around the world.
- People with anxiety disorders and/or depressive disorders have an increased suicide risk.
- Among people with depression or anxiety, living alone or living with others impacts level of suicide risk
- The impact of living alone on suicide risk varies by age group and gender
Increases in Suicide in the U.S. and Worldwide
Data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that globally, over 700,000 people die by suicide every year, and that among people age 15-29, suicide is the 4th leading cause of death. Here in the U.S., the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that in 2023, just over 49,000 people died by suicide, nearly 13 million people seriously considered suicide, and over 3.5 million people made a plan to attempt suicide.
Mental health experts know that diagnosis with clinical mental health disorder can increase risk of suicide, and that various factors impact suicide risk, such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, as well as environmental factors known as the social determinants of health (SDOH).
However, one factor that’s not well-researched, and therefore not well understood, is the impact of living situation – specifically living alone or living with others – on suicide risk among people diagnosed with anxiety or depression.
Comparing Suicide Rates Among Similarly Developed Nations
The figures we share above show the big-picture suicide rates in the U.S. and worldwide. However, one country has a suicide rate that’s extremely high: South Korea. As a country, data shows that South Korea ranks well on most health metrics when compared to similarly developed countries:
- Life expectancy is higher than average
- Rates of heart disease are lower than average
- Cancer mortality rates are lower than average
- Obesity rates are lower than average
- Alcohol consumption is lower than average
- Typical daily consumption of fruits and vegetables far higher than average
Despite these positive nationwide metrics for Korea, there’s one area where they face a significant problem: rates of suicide, typically measured as rate per 100,000 people. Here’s how South Korea compares:
- Similarly developed nations: 11.3 per 100,000
- Rate in the U.S.: 1 per 100,000
- Rate in South Korea: 24.1 per 100,000
To examine this phenomenon, a team of researcher in South Korea conducted a study to called “Suicide Risk and Living Alone With Depression or Anxiety” in order to address the dearth of research on factors we mention above:
What is the association between living arrangements, depression or anxiety, and suicide risk?
To conduct the study, researchers examined data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database recorded between 2009 and 2021. The study sample included information on 3.75 million adults over age 20 with the following characteristics:
- Gender: 44.2% female / 55.8% male
- Average age: 47
- Mental health status:
- Presence of depression: 3%
- Presence of anxiety: 6.2%
- Living situation:
- With others: 91.5%
- Alone for 5 years or longer: 8.5%
The research team analyzed records to assess the associations between these variables to determine suicide risk related to depression, anxiety, living alone, or living with others:
- Living alone
- Living with others
- Presence of anxiety
- Presence of depression
- Suicide attempts
Let’s take a look at what they found.
Impact of Living Alone With Depression or Anxiety on Suicide Risk
First, we’ll share the data on the impact of a diagnosis of depression or anxiety on suicide risk for individuals who live with others.
Living With Others and Suicide Risk, With or Without Depression/Anxiety
Depression, No Anxiety
- Total: 199% increased risk
- By age:
- 20-39: 266% increased risk
- 40-64: 216% increased risk
- 65+: 119% increased risk
- By gender
- Female: 199% increased risk
- Male: 159% increased risk
Anxiety, No Depression
- All participants: 64% increased risk
- By age:
- 20-39: 57% increased risk
- 40-64: 53% increased risk
- 65+: 51% increased risk
- By gender
- Female: 56% increased risk
- Male: 52% increased risk
Depression and Anxiety
- Total: 285% increased risk
Detailed demographic statistics not reported for this category
In this set of data, we see the impact of a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety on suicide risk. The figures clearly demonstrate the elevated suicide risk, which is higher – for people living with others – among females and younger people for both depression, anxiety, and co-occurring depression and anxiety.
Now let’s review the data the impact of a diagnosis of depression or anxiety on suicide risk for individuals who live alone.
Living Alone and Suicide Risk, With or Without Depression/Anxiety
Depression but not Anxiety
- Total: 291% increased risk
- By age
- 20-39: 300% increased risk
- 40-64: 502% increased risk
- 65+: 75% increased risk
- By gender
- Female: 271% increased risk
- Male: 332% increased risk
Anxiety but not Depression
- All participants: 90% increased risk
- By age:
- 20-39: 87% increased risk
- 40-64: 161% increased risk
- 65+: 41% increased risk
- By gender
- Female: 100% increased risk
- Male: 107% increased risk
Depression and Anxiety
- Total: 558% increased risk
Detailed demographic statistics not reported for this category
As we can see, living alone significantly changes the risk profile among specific demographic groups who report a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or both. We’ll discuss this data further, below.
How Living Alone With Depression or Anxiety Can Increase Suicide Risk
The top-line takeaways from this study include:
- 558% increased suicide risk among individuals living alone with both depression and anxiety, compared to people who lived with others and didn’t have depression or anxiety.
- 290% increased suicide risk among people with depression living alone, compared to a 199% increased risk among people with depression who live with others.
- 90% increased suicide risk among people with anxiety living alone, compared to a 64% increased risk among people with anxiety who live with others.
- Men with depression living alone had second highest increased suicide risk at 332%
- Middle-aged people with depression living alone had the highest increased suicide risk at 502%
This study teaches us something important, which many of us hear quite frequently, meaning over and over all the time:
If you have a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety, isolation can exacerbate your symptoms and increase suicide risk, while the opposite of isolation, having social connections and consistent contact and interaction with others decreases suicide risk.
This study exemplifies this in the starkest terms possible, with risks among people with depression, anxiety, or both significantly higher among people who live with others compared to people who live alone.
We’ll close this article with another observation:
In South Korea during the study period, around 8.5 percent of the study population lived alone. In the U.S. in 2020, 27.6 percent of adults live alone.
With our current suicide rate of 14.1 per 100,000, and the growing trend of living alone and remaining unpartnered until middle age and beyond, one way we can consider reducing our suicide rate is by raising awareness about the value of living with others and the importance of reducing isolation and feelings of isolation among people with depression or anxiety.
In other words, in most cases, together we do better.
How to Find Support for Suicidal Behavior
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please get help right away – do not wait:
- If risk of harm is imminent, call 911 now.
- If risk of harm is real but not immediate, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- 988 operators will help people in crisis reach trained professionals who can offer immediate support and connect you to ongoing local support.
Support For Members LGBTQIA+ Community
- The Trevor Project (Focus on Youth and Teens)
- Phone (24/7/365): 1-866-488-7386
- Trevor Project Text (24/7/365): Text START to 678678
- The Trevor Project Chat: CLICK HERE
