Preventing suicide requires strategies at the individual, community and systems level. These include policy directed at means restriction and public awareness campaigns.
Dramatic changes in behavior can be warning signs. This may include skipping classes, poor grades or acting up in class, not finishing chores around the house and/or talking about or demonstrating access to guns, pills or other methods of self-harm.
1. Know the Warning Signs
Suicide is often a cry for help, and the threat of suicide must always be taken seriously. There’s no single cause for suicide, but risk factors like mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, or substance misuse, can lead to it.
People who are suicidal usually give clues, or warning signs, to those around them. Often, these include talk about taking their own life, access to lethal weapons or substances and a plan.
It’s important to know the warning signs and how to recognize them so that you can respond. The Conversations Matter site has basic tips about how to support someone who is having suicidal thoughts or behaviours. It is also important to know that, despite popular belief, talking about suicide does not increase a person’s risk. It’s important to ask and listen carefully, and avoid judging or dismissing their feelings. Instead, say things such as “I’m so sorry to hear that you are feeling that way.” This shows that you care and are willing to listen.
2. Talk to Someone
If someone you know or love is displaying any of the warning signs of suicide, it is important to talk to them and ask about their thoughts. You might be surprised to hear that they are thinking about killing themselves, especially if you haven’t noticed any other symptoms or changes in their behaviour.
When talking to them, listen and be nonjudgmental, reassuring them that you care and understand what they are feeling. Ask about their thoughts and how long they have been having them. Tell them that if they are able to get help, things will improve and it isn’t their fault.
Find out if they have a plan or a method of suicide in mind, when they would do it, and what sort of access they have to their planned method (drugs, firearms, ropes etc). Never promise to keep anything secret, even if they are sworn to secrecy, as this could put them in more danger.
3. Create a Safety Plan
A safety plan is a set of coping strategies and resources a person can use when experiencing suicidal thoughts. It acknowledges warning signs and identifies ways to help the person avoid or get through a crisis.
It includes identifying the person’s internal coping strategies, external support and safe places they can go to be alone (e.g., coffee shop). It also lists activities they can do to distract themselves or calm down. It identifies the person’s access to lethal means and can include steps for limiting or eliminating these items.
It can also include the names and contact details of family members and friends who they can ask for help. It should be completed in a calm, relaxed way and can be done in one or more sessions with a mental health professional. A safety plan should be a person’s own, so try to make it as personalized as possible. You can use a worksheet, such as the one provided by Catholic Health Initiatives, or an interactive app such as Beyond Now.
4. Get Help
A person who is at risk of suicide needs help, and that help should be available. Community centers can host mental health awareness events and teach coping skills, schools and employers can offer employee assistance programs that include counseling, and a mental health professional should be available to assess and treat those at risk.
Mental health professionals are trained to listen and validate suicidal feelings, improve a patient’s coping skills, teach them how to recognize ineffective patterns of thought and behavior, and to increase their overall mental wellness and resiliency. Treatment may include psychotherapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and family psychoeducation.
Discussing suicide in a neutral and factual manner decreases stigma and encourages others to seek help. Download Language Matters: Talking About Suicide (PDF). In addition, removing access to lethal means such as guns, pills like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and hanging items, can greatly reduce the chances of someone attempting suicide.