Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can discussing suicide with a distressed person prompt that person to attempt suicide?

A. Discussing your concerns about suicide with an individual generally does not lead someone to attempt taking his or her own life. In fact, research indicates that the more open, up-front, and honest the communication is in creating a dialog about suicide, the more likely it is that an individual will seek the assistance he or she needs. Public communication about suicide should follow safe-messaging guidelines.

Q. Can people who are suicidal be treated, or are they hopeless cases?

A. Many people who feel suicidal are ambivalent about whether or not they actually want to die. People who experience suicidal thoughts are by no means “hopeless cases,” and in many cases counseling can help them to deal with—and even overcome—depression and suicidal feelings. Treatment works, 80 percent of those treated for depression report feeling better.

Q. Do people just suddenly “snap” and complete suicide?

A. Not usually. It is often the case that people who are suicidal and attempt—or even complete—suicide are experiencing a great deal of distress evolving over a long time. Such individuals may not always exhibit such stress, and they may not necessarily share what they are experiencing with anyone else. When someone completes suicide it is common for various people who knew the individual to present different pieces of information about the deceased. When all of the pieces are put together, the retrospective portrait of the distressed person becomes clearer and thus will often diminish the perception that the person simply “snapped.”

Q. If someone has completed suicide in my family, are people at greater risk for attempting or completing suicide in my family?

A. Some of the risk factors associated with suicide do tend to run in families. Such risk factors include bipolar disorder, depression, and substance dependence. While predisposition to risk factors of suicide might exist, suicide itself is too complicated to be predicted by genetics.

Q. What do I do if someone I know is talking a lot about suicide?

A. Follow some of the directives in the video and speak to the person honestly about your concerns. It is also helpful to provide resources to someone who appears to be struggling. If you are very concerned, take an active role: call a hotline number [800-273-TALK(8522)], or make an appointment with a mental health service provider and offer to join them at an appointment. Give them some of the handouts from this website. Oftentimes, an individual will hold onto such informational material for a long period of time, and even if they don’t access the resources immediately they may do so in the future. If you have noticed lots of concerning changes in behavior coupled with suicidal behavior you may need to call 911 to get the person to the hospital to be evaluated. When in doubt, check it out. If you feel you need additional assistance in terms of providing help, contact a mental health professional who can consult with you about how to manage your own stress, anxiety, and concern about the situation. A professional can provide you with additional information on how to support someone who is in need. As a next step, you could consider taking QPR training.

Q. I find that learning about suicide has raised several issues that I seem to have, and I’m afraid that I might be depressed. What do I do?

A. First, put together a list of positive words that will help you recognize your own courage in coming to such a realization. It is a courageous act to admit to yourself that you are having such thoughts, and you are to be commended for taking the time to learn about suicide and related mental health issues as well as coming to the realization that you may need assistance. Second, talk to someone about how you are feeling, preferably this should be an individual with training in mental health issues. Seeking support is the first step in helping yourself and achieving a happier life. Ask for a copy of the resource guide in the appendix of this facilitator’s guide, and contact some of the organizations listed there. These organizations will be able to provide you with information about how to connect with mental health professionals who can best assist you.

Q. Some of my family and friends have a difficult time talking about mental health issues and don’t take the issue of suicide or mental illness seriously enough. What should I do?

A. Everybody learns at their own pace, and acknowledging that individual life paths and backgrounds contribute to each person’s views and reactions is a good, first step toward helping others see different points of view. Never underestimate both the power of well-presented information to help change people’s minds. Diplomacy is also vital in helping people hear a different point of view. Ask your family or friends about their thoughts and feelings regarding the topic of suicide, and do your best to listen and understand their point of view. Even if you strongly disagree with their opinions or discover that they have incorrect information about suicide and/or mental illness, give them data you can back up with the materials provided here, and then give them time to think about the information. Try to always make yourself available to them. As long as the people in your life are willing to listen to you from time to time, the greater the likelihood their views will shift. Be patient but persistent, and there is a good chance that your tenacity will pay off.

Q. My religious views make it difficult for me to understand the concept of suicide and the people who attempt, or complete, taking their life. How can I integrate my religious beliefs with the information provided in this DVD?

A. Spirituality is an important part of many people’s lives, and organized religious institutions are valuable and vital to our communities and neighborhoods. It’s important to first attempt to examine and understand suicide and mental illness through the lens of psychological and physical health before viewing these concepts through moral or ethical lenses. By discussing the subjects of mental illness and suicide in the context of disease as comparable to other disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, it is often possible to neutralize some of the intense emotions that can arise. Integrating a spiritual viewpoint with other systems of knowledge (e.g., such as those based in science) can often lead to a fertile integration of religious and secular ideas. It is helpful to avoid addressing the issue in black-and-white terms, and it’s also helpful to be patient with yourself with regard to your own feelings around suicide. Being mindful of your emotions and the emotions of those around you when contemplating such a difficult topic can provide the space for dialog no matter how you or any other person believes or feels.

Q. What is the best way to talk about the act of taking one’s own life?

A. People in general seem to have a growing awareness regarding the sensitive nature of talking about suicide and the effect words can have when discussing the topic. For instance, words that normally seem innocuous in one context can—purposefully or accidentally, constructively or negatively—convey the speaker’s values and judgments in a powerful way. While it might not seem overly dramatic to say that someone “committed suicide,” most mental health professionals who deal with people who have been affected by the suicide of a loved one feel that the phrase “died by suicide” is more objective and less judgmental. The use of the combination of the verb “commit” in conjunction with the noun “suicide” originated during a time when completing suicide was considered a crime similar to “committing” a murder or a robbery. People also prefer to use the term “suicide” to describe solely the act—and not the person who died in this way—since the term can convey that the totality of the person has been reduced to his or her manner of death. For example, it would be inappropriate to refer to someone who died by suicide as “the suicide in the office down the hall.” The person who died can be referred to as “the person who died by suicide.” Among professionals who work in the field, the term “suicide death“ is preferable to “successful” suicide.

Q. What is the single most prevalent cause of suicide?

A. It is estimated that at least 90 percent of all people who die by suicide are suffering from mental illness, most commonly depression. Among people who are depressed, intense emotional states such as desperation, hopelessness, anxiety or rage increase the risk of suicide. Personality characteristics such as impulsivity also increase suicide risk. Other risk factors include the excessive use of alcohol and drugs.

Q. My colleague’s daughter purposely cuts herself when she is upset. Is this the same as making a suicide attempt?

A. Some people engage in cutting or other forms of self-mutilation as a way of handling difficult or stressful feelings. Although many such people do not have suicidal intent and do not progress to more lethal behaviors, for some self-mutilating behavior can be a prelude to suicide. Also, if the person is not careful, someone who self-mutilates in this manner may end up dying accidentally from his or her actions. Evaluation by a professional is the best way to determine the degree of a person’s risk who is a self-mutilator.

Q. Are males or females more likely to take their own lives?

A. In all age groups in the U.S., a considerably larger proportion of people who die by suicide are male. Females, however, generally have higher rates of suicide attempts. Approximately 75 percent to 80 percent of people who die by suicide are male.

Q. How many people die by suicide each year?

A. In the year 2006, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 33,300 deaths. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. A person dies by suicide about every 16 minutes in the U.S. Additionally, there an estimated 10 to 25 suicide attempts occur per every suicide death. It is estimated that over 500,000 suicide attempts occur in the U.S. each year, with one attempt made every minute. (The previous estimates are derived from reports by the National Institute of Mental Health.)