James Donaldson on Mental Health - Study looks at how loneliness and symptoms of anxiety and depression are linked to suicide

By Ana Torrea If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death, according to federal health data.

"That is a sign that depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms are really severe," said Dr.

Amy Parks, the Executive Director of NAMI Fresno.

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at how loneliness and feelings of depression and anxiety are linked to suicide.

Researchers looked at over 62,000 U.S.

adults and they found that about 6 percent of people reported some level of suicidal thoughts, and it appeared that loneliness did play a role.

"For many, many people, when they live with depression and or anxiety, it can make it difficult to feel connected," said Dr.

The study also revealed that symptoms of anxiety accounted for 25% of the link, with depression making up about 10%.

Parks says while depression and anxiety don't exactly go hand in hand, oftentimes people can experience both feelings.