World Suicide Prevention Day 2024 will focus on changing the narrative on suicide

Sep 10, 2024

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, an annual initiative to promote the message that suicide is preventable, and that much can be done to prevent suicide at individual, community, and national levels.

This years’ theme, Changing the Narrative on Suicide, focuses on shifting from a culture of silence and lack of understanding to one of openness, empathy, and support.

Talking about suicide can provide tremendous relief and being a listener is the best intervention anyone can give, but those conversations can be difficult.

Here are some tips to help you start a conversation about suicide:

Ask Questions: Ask them how they are — what they are thinking and how they are feeling. Asking someone if they are suicidal won’t put the idea in their head or encourage them to go through with it. Checking in and asking will likely make talking about a difficult subject easier and lessen some of the shame and guilt they might be feeling. When you ask from a place of genuine care and concern, you create a powerful emotional bond that helps bring someone who is struggling out of isolation and darkness and back to a place of feeling connected to others.

Show Your Concern Through Active Listening: Your friend or family member may be experiencing deep pain. Rather than trying to lighten the situation, try to listen and understand what life is like for them in this moment. What is their pain? What are their fears? Remember, when having these conversations, the focus should not be solving their problem or “fixing” them. Instead, your goal is to truly hear and understand them. Depression often convinces people that nobody understands them, loves them or wants to be around them. Depression can trick a person into believing their friends would rather not be bothered. They may be caught in this web and pull away or isolate themselves from a support system.

Communicate a Non-Judgmental and Accepting Attitude: Listen without making judgments. See the situation through the other person’s eyes. One of the most basic emotional needs of human beings is to be heard and feel important. Validation is essential.

Show You Are Paying Attention: Make eye contact; maintaining connection conveys caring.

Clarify Through Restating and Summarizing: Give a short summary to show you heard and understood what they have told you. This gives them a chance to correct you and keep the conversation on track. Even better, this helps them hear themselves; allowing them to think about what they’re saying and feeling.

Never agree to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. Sometimes instinct tells us we have to break confidentiality. It’s better to have someone alive and mad at you than feeling that you missed an opportunity to help them keep safe. Know who you can connect with as this work cannot be done alone. You may, as a helper, experience thoughts and feelings that are uncomfortable.
It’s OKAY to reach out. 9-8-8 is there to support you.

Source: NAMI

There are many ways to support suicide prevention. Here are a few ways you can support suicide prevention initiatives.

Learn Suicide Prevention Skills: Take suicide intervention training like SafeTALK or ASIST.
Attend an Event: Attend our World Suicide Prevention Day event.
Donate: Support suicide prevention work across the province. Make a donation today.

Resources to help you start the conversation