Preventing suicide requires reducing access to lethal means, providing support and education, and increasing resiliency. Responsible media coverage that treats mental illness as a medical condition is also important.
Talking therapies that teach people how to better understand their feelings and improve mental wellness and resiliency can help reduce suicidal thoughts. Continuing contact after hospital discharge through care networks or caring postcards is also effective.
3. Be There
Suicidal people often feel they have no way out of their pain. They may have distorted thinking that makes it difficult to imagine any other option for relief. It’s important to take any statement of being suicidal seriously and offer support.
Asking someone directly if they are considering suicide and listening without judgment are key to helping them feel safe enough to talk. Keeping them safe includes reducing access to lethal means and providing immediate crisis services, such as hotlines, walk-in crisis centers and treatment facilities for those at high risk.
Research shows that being there is a protective factor against suicide. So it’s important to keep in contact with those who are struggling – whether it’s regularly visiting or talking on the phone, or dropping by periodically. This can help keep them on a path toward recovery. Many schools have established crisis teams that include teachers, counselors and social workers who train all staff to recognize warning signs and how to respond if they think someone is in danger.
4. Help Keep Them Safe
Suicide is a serious threat and should be taken seriously, even when it is not immediately apparent that they are attempting to harm themselves. If someone is displaying warning signs of suicide, please call 999 or take them to A&E immediately.
After you have asked if they are thinking of suicide, listen and be aware that they may only want to talk about their pain and how much it hurts. It is important to not be afraid of these conversations or to not dismiss them as “not real” or “normal.”
Increasing people’s connections and limiting their isolation(link is external) have been shown to be protective factors against suicide. This is why prevention strategies need to address these risks at the individual, systems and community level – including means restriction, gatekeeper training and responsible media coverage. Life skills training, mobile apps and other self-help resources can also help people build resilience(link is external) against the risk of suicide.