5 Steps That Can Reduce The Risk of Suicide

Nearly 4 million people every year make a plan to commit suicide, and 1.6 million actively attempt to end their own lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide affects families, friends, schools, and entire communities – and it’s up to all of us to find ways to reduce the risk by creating space for honest conversations, offering support, and creating safer environments. 

Have you ever thought about asking your loved ones who struggle with depression if they have a suicide plan in place, but feared it might “plant” the idea? It’s actually the first step you can take to reduce their risk for following through with a devastating attempt. Another often-overlooked task is creating an effective safety plan that people can use in times of crisis.

Here are the 5 steps suggested by the National Institute of Mental Health if you believe someone is seriously considering suicide: Ask, Be There, Keep Them Safe, Help Them Connect, and Follow Up. 

Ask: Encourage Open Discussions

Talking about mental health is still surrounded by stigma, making people hesitant to share their struggles because they fear ridicule and rejection. Be brave enough to ask hard questions, knowing you might not be comfortable with the answers. By normalizing conversations around mental health, we create a space where people feel safe to express their feelings (and to ask for help).

• Listen without judgment. Your presence can be a gift. When someone opens up, offer your full attention. Don’t feel like you have to jump in and provide all the answers. Just take the time to hear what they have to say. Sometimes, being heard is the first step in feeling understood. 
• Ask if they have a suicide plan. People are afraid to introduce the possibility of suicide when talking with loved ones who are in deep emotional pain, but talking about it doesn’t make action more likely. In fact, allowing someone with suicidal ideations to tell you how they would harm themselves can help you assess the seriousness of their attempt. It can also give you clues about how to prevent or restrict access to dangerous items in your home. You can ask directly, “Do you ever think about how you might try to kill yourself?” or indirectly “What do you think about people who try to kill themselves?” or “How do you feel when you hear that someone has died from suicide?” Remember, your job is not to talk them out of their feelings but to give them space to communicate the distress they are in. 

Be There

• Check in. A simple text or call can go a long way. If someone seems down or stressed, don't be afraid to ask how they’re feeling. 
• Reach out. People considering suicide often feel isolated and alone, and the simple act of connecting with others can interrupt their negative thoughts.
• Be persistent. Don’t nag, just keep trying. Leave messages, offer invitations, try a FaceTime call, or just stop by.  

Keep Them Safe 

Your presence, listening without judgment and offering support, can help calm someone in crisis. But if you’ve determined they are in imminent danger it’s crucial to take action. Studies show that when the means are less available, it can delay or prevent an impulsive decision. 

• Secure dangerous items: If someone in your household is struggling, consider removing firearms, sharp objects, and dangerous medications, or store them safely out of reach.
• Encourage others to do the same: Talk to friends and family members (and if appropriate, neighbors) about the importance of keeping their homes safe.

Firearms are used in over half of all suicides. More than 25,000 people in the US used a firearm to take their own life in 2022. Ensuring that firearms in the home are unloaded and locked away is crucial, and having multiple additional steps, such as disassembled weapons, keyed cable locks, combination gun safes, or even storing weapons at a separate facility, such as a shooting range, can provide additional safety measures. Law enforcement may temporarily hold firearms, but laws in each state differ and either volunteer surrender or a court order may be required.  

Communities across the globe also play a role in reducing risk:

• In the UK, suicidal paracetamol (Tylenol) overdoses were reduced when regulators switched from bulk packaging to single blister packs. 
• In Hong Kong in the late 90s, tabloids and media outlets sensationalized stories about people who had died from burning barbeque charcoal in small, sealed spaces. Subsequently, there was a dramatic rise in Hong Kong and Taiwan of suicide attempts from, not surprisingly, carbon monoxide poisoning from burning charcoal in confined spaces. Stores are now required to keep charcoal in locked containers in public view, and customers must ask a manager to unlock supplies before making a purchase. 
• In 2013 in San Francisco, up to 10 people each month were seen attempting to jump to their death from the Golden Gate Bridge. City officials attempted to discourage jumpers by asking the media not to report on them, installing suicide hotline phones along the walkway, closing the bridge to pedestrians at night, increasing bridge patrols, and coordinating ironworkers as volunteers who attempt to talk down jumpers or even wrestle them to the ground.. Yet the most effective deterrent on the Golden Gate Bridge has been a physical barrier: a plastic-covered stainless steel net that runs underneath the bridge’s deck, extending out on both sides. 

Help Them Connect

• Find safety in numbers. Identify a network of resources who can help. Having a reliable support system can be life-saving for someone struggling with suicidal thoughts. A network of friends, family, neighbors, community members, and professionals can provide comfort, perspective, and connection.
• Create a safety plan. Write it down or keep it stored on the phone.
  • Identify signs and symptoms that may warn of crisis, like feeling hopeless, lacking the energy to get dressed, or excessive substance use.
  • List activities that can elevate mood, like exercise, showering, or eating favorite foods.
  • List places you can go for social distraction: coffee shops, libraries, dog parks, or museums.
  • Make sure you have contact information for people you trust you can call in times of crisis.
  • List professionals who know you who can help, such as therapists and doctors, and the number of the local emergency department.
  • Consider the specific things in your home that you could use to harm yourself, and find ways to remove or delay access to them.

Follow Up

• Stay in touch regularly. Reach out to friends or family with a short text, a brief audio message or a call to remind them you are available. 
• Offer support to people in need. If you know someone is struggling, find ways to connect without treating them like a child. Offer practical help, like picking up, or maintain emotional support through conversations.
• Be a safe space. Let friends and family know that they can come to you if they need to talk about their feelings or to get support asking for professional help from a therapist.
• Know the resources. Familiarize yourself with the mental health services available in your area, including crisis hotlines, therapy options, and groups. In rural areas, you may need to reach out to medical professionals or faith-based groups to identify contacts for mental health services and support. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, call 988 or go to the nearest emergency department. If you are struggling with depression, isolation, grief, life changes, break-ups, loneliness, or other feelings you cannot manage, find a therapist who can work with you, your schedule, your budget, and your needs. You can search profiles on Psychology Today or see if there is a Lifelogie therapist in your area at https://wefixbrains.com/locations.