Suicide Prevention Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Who can I call if I am feeling suicidal, thinking about hurting myself or if I’m concerned that someone I know may be in danger of hurting himself or herself?
Answer: If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). Trained crisis counselors will speak with you and connect you to the nearest available suicide prevention and mental health service provider.
Question: What should I do when I have a patient I suspect is depressed and suicidal?
Answer: The Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) Card guides clinicians through five steps which address the patient’s level of suicide risk and suggest appropriate interventions. This assessment tool is available in PDF form from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) or it can be downloaded from: http://www.stopasuicide.org/.
SPRC also offers a training curriculum for mental health professionals, titled “Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk: Competencies for Behavioral Health Professionals.”
Question: What are some of the warning signs or risk factors of suicide?
Answer:
While there is no typical suicide victim, there are some common warning signs to look for. A person might be suicidal if he or she displays:
- Hopelessness
- Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking
- Feeling trapped - like there's no way out
- Increased alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family and society
- Anxiety, agitation, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
- Dramatic mood changes
- No reason for living; no sense of purpose in life
For more information on warning signs see the American Association of Suicidology (AAS): About Suicide. For information about risk factors associated with suicide, see SPRC's Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide.
Question: How can I help someone who is threatening suicide?
Answer:
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) About Suicide suggests:
- Be direct. Talk openly and directly about suicide.
- Be willing to listen. Allow expressions of feelings. Accept the feelings.
- Be non-judgmental. Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong, or whether feelings are good or bad.
- Don’t lecture on the value of life.
- Get involved. Become available. Show interest and support.
- Don’t dare him or her to do it.
- Don’t act shocked. This will put distance between you.
- Don’t be sworn to secrecy. Seek support.
- Offer hope that alternatives are available but do not offer glib reassurance.
- Take action. Remove means, such as guns or stockpiled pills.
- Get help from persons or agencies specializing in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Contact:
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- A community mental health agency
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A private therapist or counselor
- A school counselor of psychologist
- A family physician
- A local suicide prevention or crisis center
Question: How can our community take action to prevent suicides?
Answer: There are a number of ways for your community to be involved in suicide prevention:
- Find out what your state is doing to prevent suicide by visiting the SPRC State Suicide Prevention web pages. These pages include state suicide prevention plans, state data, and how to contact people involved in suicide prevention in your state.
- Form a local coalition to address the problem of suicide in your community. For more information about building coalitions, see the SPRC Building and Maintaining Coalitions toolkit.
- Become a community advocate for suicide prevention and support related policy measures. To learn about policy measures in your state and community, and to contact your representatives visit the SPAN USA Action Center.
- Plan an awareness event to educate community members and legislators about the problem of suicide. See the SPAN USA/SPRC Suicide Awareness Event Resource Kit for tips.
- Work with local media representatives to raise awareness about the problem of suicide in your community and to share resources on how to seek help. See the SPAN USA/SPRC Guide to Engaging Media in Suicide Prevention for more information.
- Contact your SPRC Prevention Specialist. SPRC can connect you with people, organizations, and resources in your community, state and nationally and provide technical assistance and training on suicide prevention.
Question: How can our school take action to prevent suicides?
Answer: For more information on any of the items listed above, please visit the SPRC Online Library: Populations and Settings; Schools.
- Become involved with your state or community’s suicide prevention coalition and learn how to coordinate your school’s efforts with state or community efforts.
- Visit SPRC’s Customized Information pages for Teachers and School Health Providers to learn more about how to respond to students and staff at risk for suicide.
- Implement a school-based suicide prevention program, which includes a comprehensive set of interventions, such as:
- Gatekeeper training
- Screening for mental health
- Health education curriculum that includes suicide prevention and/or mental health
- Peer mentoring
- School-based mental health services
- Crisis response
- Postvention
For more information on any of the items listed above, please visit the SPRC Online Library or contact your SPRC Prevention Specialist.
To review guidelines for school-based suicide prevention programs, please refer to the following resources: The American Association of Suicidology’s Guidelines for School-Based Suicide Prevention Programs and the University of South Florida’s Youth Suicide Prevention School-Based Guide.
Question: What is being done to prevent suicide nationally?
Answer:
In 1999, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published A Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, which identified suicide as a preventable public health problem. HHS followed that publication by releasing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention (National Strategy) in 2001, produced in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies of the federal government. This document outlined 11 goals and 68 objectives that provide a blueprint for action. In 2003, the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health released its report on Transforming Mental Health Care in America and called for the implementation of the National Strategy as part of its first recommendation. In 2004, President Bush signed the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act into law. Named in memory of Senator Gordon Smith’s (R-OR) son, this legislation authorized 82 million dollars for suicide prevention activities in the United States, and in 2005 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded funding to 29 states, seven American Indian tribes, 55 colleges and universities and the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) to implement and evaluate suicide prevention programs. Also in 2005, HHS in collaboration with several other cabinet-level departments of the federal government released the Federal Action Agenda, which includes a commitment to forming a public/private partnership known as the Action Alliance, which will guide implementation of the National Strategy.
Question: Where can I access additional suicide prevention resources?
Answer: The national Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provides prevention support, training and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. SPRC is supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and is a project within Education Development Center’s Health and Human Development Programs.
The following organizations also provide suicide prevention information and assistance:
American Association of Suicidology (AAS)
4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW - Suite 408
Washington, D.C. 20008
(202) 237-2280
Email: info@suicidology.org
Website: www.suicidology.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
(888) 333-2377
Email: inquiry@afsp.org
Website: www.afsp.org
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA)
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, #1200
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 449-3600
Email: info@spanusa.org
Website: http://www.spanusa.org
Credits
Last revised 02/19/2008
