In the strictest sense of the term, suicidal ideation can be defined as the desire of an individual to take his or her own life or to think about suicide. According to various psychologists, there are two types of suicidal ideation. And those two types of suicidal ideation are active suicidal ideation and passive suicidal ideation.
Passive suicidal ideation can be defined as the condition in which the individual might already wish that he or she was dead. In this condition, the individual might also wish as if he or she could die but that individual might not actually do anything to commit suicide. In the case of active suicidal ideation, an individual would not just think about committing suicide but would actually perform various actions which might lead that individual to commit suicide. Hence, it can be said that in the case of active suicidal ideation an individual actively pursuits the idea of committing suicide. In this academic writing piece, readers will be able to learn all the major details about the concept of suicidal ideation. And readers will also be able to learn the relationship of suicidal ideation with different personality types.

The Statistics
According to different reports and statistical figures, the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation of the entire world population is around 9 per cent. According to a study which was conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2016, almost 4 percent of adults in the United States of America alone suffered from suicidal ideation. These statistical figures were significantly higher for an individual who fell in the age group of 18 to 25 years old.

Individuals who are suffering from various psychological disorders are also more prone to suffering from suicidal ideation. Suicidal Ideation is also a problem which is currently on the rise across all the nations in the world. According to a study which was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women are more to suicidal ideation than men. But men are more successful in committing suicide after three or more tries.

The Risk Factors
There are a number of risk factors which can cause an individual to suffer from suicidal ideation. And some of those risk factors are mentioned below.

• Already suffering from a psychological disorder
• Have previously tried to attempt suicide
• Often feels isolated, hopeless, or lonely
• Have not been married
• Is lesbian, gay, transgender, or bisexual
• Have previously served in the military
• Is suffering from some kind of chronic medical illness like diabetes, cancer, or any other terminal disease
• Is suffering from chronic pain
• Had a traumatic brain injury
• Has a family history of suicide
• Is suffering from drug or alcohol abuse disorder
• Lives in a rural area
• Have easy access to some sort of firearms

Apart from these risk factors, there can also be many other risk factors which might make an individual more prone to suffering from suicidal ideation.

The Causes
Suicidal ideation often occurs when an individual is no longer able to cope with some kind of difficult or overwhelming situation. It is also widely agreed amongst psychologists that there can be many causes of suicidal ideation. And some of the commonly agreed causes of suicidal ideation can include situations where an individual might lose someone that he or she loved, have some kind of relationship issues, might experience some pressure at work, suffering from any physical health issues, or might be facing some kind of financial difficulty. Suicidal ideation can also be a symptom of various psychological disorders like bipolar disorder, depression, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). High levels of anxiety and stress can also cause an individual to develop suicidal ideation.

It is important for every reader to remember that there can be a large number of causes behind why an individual might suffer from suicidal ideation. But it is of extreme importance in those situations that the people around the individual who is suffering from suicidal ideation should be able to recognize the warning signs or symptoms and further get the right kind of help as soon as possible. In the next section, readers will be able to learn more about the warning signs or symptoms of suicidal ideation.

The Warning Signs or Symptoms
Some of the warning signs or symptoms which are often displayed by individuals who might be suffering from suicidal ideation are mentioned below.

• An individual might isolate himself or herself from his or her loved ones
• The individual might feel quite trapped and hopeless
• The individual might also talk about dying or suicide
• The individual might be trying to give away his or her possessions
• He or she might also start to abuse some sort of harmful substance
• The individual might also be experiencing frequent mood swings, bouts of rage, anger, or irritability
• He or she might also indulge in riskier behavioural patterns
• The individual might feel extremely anxious
• The individual might constantly be acting as if he or she is saying goodbye to those he or she loves
• The individual might also try to access the different ways through which he or she could successfully kill himself or herself

It is important for an individual to identify these signs as soon as possible and try to get the right kind of medical help and positive attention. It is important for every individual to remember that getting proper medical attention at the right time can actually save the life of the individual who might be suffering from suicidal ideation.

Suicidal Ideation and Personality Types
The relationship between suicidal ideation and personality types is one of the topics which have been studied extensively by psychologists for a very long time. The scientific community is also rather divided on this topic. But according to the majority of the psychologists, any personality type can suffer from suicidal ideation. There is no specific personality type which is more prone to suicidal ideation as each personality type can display various behavioural patterns which might make them more prone to suicidal ideation. However, in a stereotypical fashion, there are a few characteristics of suicidal ideation which might be more associated with different personality types. And some of those different personality types and their association with suicidal ideation are mentioned below.

SP ‘Creator’ Personality Type
These personality type might inflict pain upon themselves by trying to ‘feel alive’ or performing any kind of reckless act. This personality type is also more prone to suicidal ideation as they might eventually run out of things which they can enjoy in their life.

SJ ‘Protector’ Personality Type
This personality type is more prone to thinking that they don’t belong in any group. An individual of this personality type might also suffer from an inability to change the circumstances around them. This can make an individual more prone to developing suicidal ideation.

NF ‘Visionary’ Personality Type
This personality type can experience a lack of self-worth or identity. This can cause this personality to sacrifice them to achieve something that they believe in.

NT ‘Intellectual’ Personality Type
This personality type is naturally creative, sceptical, and imaginative. This can make them more prone to becoming paranoid and eventually can also lead to the development of suicidal ideation.

These are some of the basic relationships which exist between different personality types and suicidal ideation.

The Conclusion
Suicidal ideation can be defined as a condition in which an individual might feel an extreme desire to commit suicide or take his or her own life. There are a large number of individuals who suffer from suicidal ideation all across the globe. This is also a condition which has been on the rise for the past two or three decades. There are a number of causes behind why an individual might suffer from suicidal ideation. An individual also often exhibits a number of symptoms of suicidal ideation. And it is important for people to identify those symptoms and get the right medical attention for that individual. This can help in saving a life. According to psychologists, there is no such concrete relationship which exists between personality types and suicidal ideation. However, there are different characteristics of personality types which can make those personality types more prone to developing suicidal ideation.