The good news is, suicidal feelings and behaviors can be treated. Talking therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, can help people learn coping skills to reduce suicidal thoughts.
Identifying warning signs and risk factors is also an important first step. Dramatic changes in a person’s mood or demeanor, increased irritability, withdrawal from friends and family and talking about or planning a suicide are serious and can be life-threatening.
Supportive Relationships and Community Connectedness
Suicide is a public health issue that impacts people of all ages and communities. It can be prevented by rallying around people who are in need, talking openly about suicide and reducing access to lethal means of self-harm.
Research shows that a person’s social connectedness is an important protective factor against suicide. Individuals are more likely to seek help when they feel supported by family, friends and community organizations.
Positive relationships with adults outside the home were found to be protective against suicide attempts in Hispanic teens, independent of the relationship with their parents. Hybrid programs that combine school, family and community-based interventions could help reduce teen suicide risk through the development of supportive relationships with adults who care about the teen’s well-being. Community-based programs are also a good way to reach teenagers in need of suicide prevention services, such as adolescent support groups and mentorship programs.
Build Life Skills
Life skills are essential tools everyone needs to live a healthy, functioning lifestyle. They include everything from making a budget to communicating clearly with family and friends.
If you notice your friend skipping classes or getting poor grades, showing dramatic mood swings or changing their personality, neglecting daily appearance or behavior, or seeking access to pills, razors or guns, these are warning signs they might be thinking about suicide. Suicidal people often feel trapped and see no other way out of their pain.
Helping them connect with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) and other community resources can give them the safety net they need. Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings with a trusted friend, family member, spiritual advisor or mental health professional.
Resilience
Resilient people have a variety of resources they can draw on. These can include effective emotional regulation (understanding their own emotions), problem-solving skills, a sense of purpose or meaning in life, and strong relationships with others.
Resilience also involves being able to view difficult situations with perspective. For example, when stuck in traffic, resilient people may choose to focus on the time they’ll save by leaving earlier or use stress-reduction techniques to calm their mind and body. They might also remember that this kind of situation is not uncommon and won’t last forever.
Ask your participants to share what they define as resilience and provide an example of a time when they or someone they know was resilient. This exercise will help them see that building resilience is not only a personal journey but it’s also important to build connections to family, friends, and their community.
Identifying Risk Factors
The risk factors that contribute to suicide vary from person to person. They include a history of suicide attempts, a family history of mental illness and the death of a loved one by suicide. Psychiatric illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and alcoholism are also important risk factors.
Risk factors also can include immediate stressors like relationship problems, academic failures and financial struggles as well as negative life experiences such as the loss of a job or a serious accident. Chronic physical illness or a poor medical prognosis can also increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Identifying warning signs of suicide is essential. These include talk of wanting to die, a change in mood and changes in behaviors such as increased drug or alcohol use and isolation.
Getting Help
Helping someone connect with resources can be an effective way to prevent suicide. This can include promoting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline and other community resources, providing a list of people to call or text when in a crisis, and offering mental health services.
Talking therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy can help a person understand their feelings, improve their mental wellness and build resiliency. These are long-term strategies that help people stay safe and connected to others.
Personalized safety planning has been shown to reduce suicidal thinking and actions. This includes developing a plan for dealing with specific triggers, restricting access to lethal means (like firearms and pills) and identifying a safety network. Keeping in touch and checking in with people at risk on a regular basis can also be very helpful.