Tool kit for helping
someone at risk of suicide
Are you yourself
thinking of suicide?
You are not alone. Thoughts of suicide occur to
many people and for a range of reasons. The
most important thing to remember is that help is
available. Talking to someone is a good place to
start, even though it may seem difficult. Approach
a trusted friend or call one of the 24-hour numbers
listed on page five. Tell someone today!
Why does someone
consider suicide?
Typically, many factors are involved. It is
known that mental health problems, particularly
depression, can increase vulnerability to suicide.
Here are some clues about what to look for.
Situations - what’s happening
in the person’s life?
Have they experienced any life changes recently?
•
Recent loss (a loved one, a job, an income/
livelihood, a pet)
•
Major disappointment (failed exams, missed
job promotions)
•
Change in circumstances (retirement,
redundancy, children leaving home)
•
Mental disorder or physical illness
•
Suicide of a family member, friend or a public
figure
•
Financial and/or legal problems
Are you concerned that someone close to you is considering suicide?
Have you noticed changes in their attitude and behaviour?
Has someone you know attempted suicide?
Would you like to know how to help them keep safe?
It is distressing to realise that someone close to you may be considering suicide. This tool kit
will help you identify signs to look for, decide what to do and learn what help is available.
Most people who consider suicide get through the crisis. Family, friends and professionals
can make a big difference in helping people stay safe and re-establish reasons for living.
Feelings – how does the
person feel about it?
Events like the above can be difficult and
sometimes devastating. Most people who
experience them do not consider suicide, but
some do. Be aware of:
•
How the person feels about what happened
•
What it means to them
•
Whether the pain feels bearable
Mental health problems can increase the risk of
suicide. We may not know a person’s mental
health history, however we may notice that a
person seems depressed or anxious, and/or is
misusing alcohol or other drugs. They may have
told us that they are receiving treatment for a
mental health problem.
Having a mental health problem does not mean a
person will have thoughts of suicide – many don’t.
However, mental health problems can affect the
way people view problems. They affect motivation
and openness to seek help, therefore we need to be
particularly aware of the possible risk of suicide.
People who have recently been discharged from
hospital for treatment of mental health problems
may also be at higher risk of suicide. It is
important that they receive ongoing support in the
community. You may be able to help by supporting
them to attend any follow-up visits with their GP or
mental health specialists.
What do I do now?
People considering suicide often feel very isolated
and alone. They may feel that nobody can help
them or understand their psychological pain.
When unable to see any other way of dealing
with pain, suicide may seem to be a way out.
Sometimes people who have been distressed and
openly suicidal become outwardly calm. Be aware
that this may mean many things, including their
quiet resolution to complete their suicide plan.
The important thing to remember is that if someone
is not their usual self or if they are showing signs
that arouse your concern you need to check it out.
This tool kit will help you to talk to someone about
suicide and then decide what steps to take.
Most people who consider suicide get through
the crisis. The help and support of family, friends
and professionals can make a big difference. The
following tips will help you know what to do.
Behaviours – what are they doing?
People at risk of suicide usually give clues by their
behaviour. These may include:
•
Previous suicide attempts
•
Being moody, sad and withdrawn
•
Talking of feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless
•
Taking less care of themselves and their
appearance
•
Losing interest in things previously enjoyed
•
Finding it hard to concentrate
•
Being more irritable or agitated
•
Talking or joking about suicide
•
Expressing thoughts about death through
drawings, stories, songs etc
•
Saying goodbye to others and/or giving away
possessions
•
Engaging in risky or self-destructive behaviour
•
Increasing alcohol/drug use
Mental Health
Tool Kit
1
Do something now
If you are concerned that someone you know is considering
suicide, act promptly. Don’t assume that they will get better
without help or that they will seek help on their own. It’s easy
to avoid being part of that help, or to hope that someone
else will step in. Reaching out now could save a life.
2
Acknowledge
your reaction
When you realise that you need to take action to help
someone who is considering suicide, your natural reaction
may be to:
•
Panic
•
Ignore the situation and hope it will go away
•
Look for quick-fix solutions to make the person feel better
•
Criticise or blame the person for their feelings
These reactions are common but not helpful. It’s natural to
feel panic and shock but take time to listen and think before
you act. Following the tips below will help you get through.
If you find you’re really struggling, enlist the help of a
trusted friend.
3
Be there for them
Spend time with the person and express your care and
concern. Ask them how they are feeling, hear their pain
and listen to what’s on their mind. Let them do most of
the talking. Problems can seem more manageable after
speaking about them.
4
Ask if they are
thinking of suicide
Unless someone tells you, the only way to know if a person
is thinking of suicide is to ask. Asking can sometimes be
very hard but it shows that you have noticed things, been
listening, that you care and that they are not on their own.
Talking about suicide will not put the idea into their head but
will encourage them to talk about their feelings. It opens up
options for checking out risk, attending to safety and getting
further help.
5
Check out their safety
If a person is considering suicide it is important to know
how much thought they have put into it. Ask about the
following:
•
Have they thought about how and when they plan to kill
themselves?
•
Do they have the means to carry out their plan?
•
Have they ever deliberately harmed themselves?
•
What support can they access to stay safe and get help?
•
How can you help them draw on links to family, friends,
pets, religious convictions, personal coping strengths?
Use this information to decide what to do. If you are really
worried, don’t leave the person alone. Seek immediate
help – see contact numbers below or phone Lifeline on 13
11 14. Remove any means of suicide available, including
weapons, medications, alcohol and other drugs, even
access to a car.
This tool kit will help you identify
signs to look for, decide what to
do and learn what help is available.
Most people who consider suicide
get through the crisis. Family, friends
and professionals can make a big
difference in helping people stay safe
and re-establish reasons for living.
6
Decide what to do
Now that you have this information you need to
discuss together what steps you are going to take.
What you decide to do needs to take into account
the safety concerns that you have. Do not agree to
keep it a secret.
You may need to enlist the help of others to
persuade the person to get professional help – or
at least take the first steps to stay safe. These may
include their partners, parents, or close friends.
Only by sharing this information can you make sure
that the person gets the help and support they need.
Sometimes the person at risk says they do not want
help. Yet we know most people are in two minds
about suicide. Make keeping them safe your first
priority. Consider the long-term benefits of getting
help for the person. It may mean risking the
relationship but you could be saving a life.
7
Take action
The person can get help from a range of
professional and supportive people:
•
GP
•
Counsellor, psychologist, social worker
•
School counsellor, youth group leader, sports
coach
•
Emergency services – police and ambulance
•
Mental health services
•
Community health centres
•
Priest, minister, religious leader
•
Telephone counselling services such as Lifeline
and Kids Help Line
When the person has decided who they are most
willing to tell, help them prepare what they will
say. Many people find it difficult to express their
suicidal thoughts.
Offer to accompany the person to the
appointment. After the appointment, check that
they raised the issue of suicide and ask what help
they were offered. Help them follow through with
the recommendations.
In some situations the person may refuse to get
help. While it’s important that you find them the
help they need, you can’t force them to accept it.
You need to ensure that the appropriate people
are aware of the situation. Do not shoulder this
responsibility alone.
8
Ask for a promise
Thoughts of suicide often return and when they
do it is important for the person to again reach
out and tell someone. Asking them to promise to
do this makes it more likely that it will happen.
Encourage the person to promise to call you or
Lifeline 13 11 14 if the suicidal thoughts return,
and to do this before they harm themselves.
9
Look after yourself
If you’re helping someone who is considering
suicide, make sure you also take care of yourself.
It is difficult and emotionally draining to support
someone who is suicidal, especially over an
extended period.
•
Don’t do it on your own. Find someone to talk
to, maybe friends, family or a professional.
•
Recruit other people to help support the person
you are worried about.
•
Get in touch with carer organisations or support
groups. Contact the Lifeline Information Service
1300 13 11 14 to find what’s available in your
area.
•
Try not to let your concerns about the other
person dominate your life. Make sure you
continue to enjoy your usual activities, take time
out to have fun and keep a sense of perspective.
•
Contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours a day)
for support.
24-hour crisis telephone
counselling services:
National
Lifeline .............................................. 13 11 14
Kids Help Line ........................... 1800 55 1800
ACT
Crisis Assessment
and Treatment Team ................... 1800 629 354
New South Wales
Suicide Prevention
and Crisis Intervention ................ 1300 363 622
Salvo Care Line ......................... 02 9331 6000
Northern Territory
Crisis Line Northern Territory ....... 1800 019 116
Queensland
Crisis Counselling Service........... 1300 363 622
South Australia
Mental Health Assessment
and Crisis Intervention Service ............ 13 14 65
Tasmania
Samaritans Lifelink - country ........ 1300 364 566
Samaritans Lifelink - metro .......... 03 6331 3355
Victoria
Suicide Help Line Victoria ........... 1300 651 251
Western Australia
Samaritans Suicide
Emergency Service - country ....... 1800 198 313
Emergency Service - metro .......... 08 9381 5555
Where to get help
For immediate crisis intervention
when life may be in danger ring the
police on 000 or go to your local
hospital emergency department
10
Stay involved
Thoughts of suicide do not easily disappear without
the person at risk experiencing some change.
Their situation, or their feelings about it, may
change, or they may feel more supported and able
to deal with it. In either situation, the continuing
involvement of family and friends is very important.
Below are some tips to ensure the person at risk
continues to get the best help possible:
•
Ensure the person has 24-hour access to some
form of support. This may be you, other family
members and friends, or Lifeline 13 11 14.
•
Accompany the person to appointments
if possible. Your support can be a great
encouragement.
•
If you are the primary carer, try to establish a
good relationship with the health professionals
responsible for the person’s treatment. Your opinion
and input is valid and may be very valuable.
•
Advocate for the person. Sometimes a service
or health professional may not be capable
of meeting all the person’s needs. You can
advocate for appropriate services.
•
Discuss with the person what issues or situations
might trigger further suicidal thoughts. Plan how
to reduce this stress and what coping strategies
can be used.
•
Continue to be supportive but not overprotective.
Suicidal thoughts do not easily
go away on their own.
People need to see change in
their life and they need help to
achieve that change.
You are part of that help.
Services:
Your GP (see Yellow Pages for listing)
Mental Health Team
(see Community Health Centres in the White Pages)
Counselling/Psychological Services
(see Yellow Pages for listing)
Sane Australia help line .............. 1800 187 263
For help finding services, call the Lifeline Information
Service on 1300 13 11 14. Remember, this is
an information service, not a crisis or counselling
service. The service operates Monday to Friday,
9am to 5pm (EST) or visit the web site at
Lifeline Australia - Lifeline Information ServiceResources:
Beyond Suicide Attempts
booklet – information for
parents, foster parents and guardians following
the suicide attempt of a young person. Available
from the Lifeline Information Service
Surviviors of Suicide
– a compassionate resource
developed to support people who have lost a
loved one to suicide. Available from the Lifeline
Information Service
Training:
ASIST - many Lifeline Centres throughout Australia
provide Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
Training (ASIST) if people are looking for further
training in this area. Contact LivingWorks to find
an ASIST training near you, 03 9894 1833 or
info@livingworks.org.auWe invite your feedback and comments. Call 1300 13 11 14
Last revised September 2007.
The assistance of the Illawarra
Institute for Mental Health in
producing this health promotion
resource is gratefully acknowledged.
Web sites:
A site that builds community capacity for
suicide prevention
A large online national database of low
cost or free health and community services
throughout Australia
An Australian site with information
on depression
An on-line Australian resource on
depression
A site offering telephone and email
counselling for young people
A site that provides training for all kinds of
caregivers, increasing their ability to reach
out to a person at risk
Information about suicide prevention for
young people, families, communities and
professionals
Suicide Information and Education
Centre (SIEC)
This Tool Kit has been produced by the
Lifeline Information Service as a public service.
You are welcome to reproduce it without alteration.
Prime Super is the proud sponsor of the Lifeline Information Service – your mental health and self-help resource.
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