Depression, poor quality of life and unemployment can be killers -- they are listed among the top ten reasons for suicide in China, according to a research report.

The research, launched in 2002 and jointly conducted by the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that serious depression, a previous failed suicide attempt and a strong emotional stimulus are critical warning signs in suicide cases.

The research was based on 895 suicide cases in 23 inspection centers nationwide.

Low living standards, acute interpersonal conflicts and suicide among friends or relatives may also serve as catalysts for people to take their own lives, according to the report.

In China, suicide is often a means for individuals living with mental or incurable diseases to extricate themselves from their situation or relieve their family's burden.

The report also shows that in the rural areas, young women are more likely to commit suicide on a sudden impulse if some dramatic change or conflict occurs in their families.

The suicide ratio is three times higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas, and 25 percent more women commit suicide than men, according to the report.

The government has trained experts and opened a psychological hotline, said Zhang Yanping, vice director of the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center, adding that everything should be done to encourage people to consult experts in time.