Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Connection, Hope and Support Can Save Lives

Every September, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides an opportunity to bring an often difficult subject into the light.

It is a time to remember those whose lives have been lost to suicide, support people who have struggled with suicidal thoughts, acknowledge the families and communities affected, and remind one another that help, treatment and hope are available.

Suicide prevention is not only the responsibility of mental health professionals. Friends, family members, coworkers, managers and communities can all play a role by creating stronger connections, recognizing when someone may be struggling and helping people reach appropriate support.

Sometimes the most meaningful first step is simply letting another person know:

I see you. I care about you. You don’t have to face this alone.

Know the Warning Signs

Emotional distress does not always look the same from one person to another. Someone may appear sad and withdrawn, while another person may seem angry, anxious or unusually restless.

The National Institute of Mental Health identifies a number of warning signs that can indicate someone may be experiencing suicidal thoughts. These can include:

• Talking about wanting to die
• Expressing feelings of hopelessness, emptiness or having no reason to live
• Feeling trapped or as though there are no solutions
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Experiencing extreme changes in mood
• Sleeping or eating significantly more or less than usual
• Increasing alcohol or drug use
• Giving away important belongings
• Saying goodbye to people
• Taking unusually dangerous risks

A particularly important concern is a new or significant change in someone’s behavior, especially when it follows a painful loss, major life event or other difficult experience.

Knowing the warning signs doesn’t mean we should try to diagnose someone. It means we can recognize when it may be time to reach out.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

Many people worry that asking someone whether they are thinking about suicide might somehow put the idea into that person’s mind.

Research does not support that fear. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, asking directly about suicidal thoughts does not cause or increase them. A direct, caring question can instead help identify someone who needs support.

If you’re concerned about someone, don’t feel as though you need to find the perfect words.

Start a conversation.

Tell the person you’ve noticed that they don’t seem like themselves and that you’re concerned about them. Listen without judgment and allow them to talk.

If necessary, ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide.

The important thing is to approach the conversation with compassion rather than fear, criticism or embarrassment.

How to Support Someone Who Is Struggling

When someone shares that they are struggling, our natural instinct may be to immediately try to fix the problem.

Sometimes what they need first is simply to be heard.

Give the person your full attention. Listen without minimizing what they’re feeling or immediately comparing their situation to someone else’s.

Avoid responses such as, “You have so much to be grateful for,” or “Other people have it worse.”

Instead, acknowledge that they are hurting.

Stay present. Ask what they need. Encourage them to connect with a mental health professional, physician, Employee Assistance Program, crisis counselor or another trusted source of support.

If someone tells you they intend to end their life, do not leave them alone and do not promise to keep it secret. Seek immediate help.

And don’t underestimate the importance of following up later.

A text message, phone call or simple question such as “How are you doing today?” can remind someone that they haven’t been forgotten.

Connection Matters

Human beings need connection.

Feeling supported by family, friends, coworkers and community can help protect emotional well-being. The CDC identifies social connectedness as an important protective factor and encourages communities to create opportunities that reduce isolation and strengthen relationships.

That doesn’t always require a formal program.

Invite someone to lunch.

Call the friend you haven’t heard from lately.

Check on a coworker who’s been unusually quiet.

Invite a neighbor for a walk.

Include someone who seems to be on the outside of a group.

Small moments of genuine human connection can matter more than we realize.

Support Mental Health at Work

Because adults spend so much of their lives working, the workplace can play an important role in supporting mental health.

Work-related stress can affect an employee’s well-being both on and off the job, and managers and supervisors can help create healthier environments by addressing unnecessary workplace stress and making support easier to access.

Employers can help by:

• Normalizing conversations about mental health
• Making Employee Assistance Program and behavioral health resources easy to find
• Training managers to recognize signs of distress
• Encouraging reasonable workloads and time away from work
• Promoting respectful communication
• Creating opportunities for connection
• Reminding employees that asking for help is a sign of self-awareness, not weakness
• Making crisis resources such as 988 visible and accessible

Federal workplace suicide-prevention guidance also emphasizes creating cultures that support employee well-being, help-seeking and connectedness.

A caring workplace cannot solve every problem an employee may be facing, but it can create an environment where people feel safer speaking up before they reach a crisis point.

Take Care of Your Own Mental Health

Suicide prevention also includes caring for our own emotional well-being.

Mental health deserves the same attention we give physical health.

Pay attention when stress begins to feel overwhelming. Give yourself permission to rest. Stay connected with people you trust. Move your body regularly. Spend time outdoors. Maintain healthy sleep habits when possible and recognize when you’re carrying more than you can manage alone.

And seek help early.

You do not have to wait until life becomes unbearable before talking with a counselor, therapist, doctor or someone you trust.

Sometimes asking for help is one of the strongest decisions a person can make.

You Don’t Have to Have All the Answers

One of the biggest misconceptions about suicide prevention is that you must know exactly what to say.

You don’t.

You don’t have to be a therapist.

You don’t have to solve someone’s problems.

You don’t have to give brilliant advice.

You can listen.

You can care.

You can ask.

You can stay.

And you can help connect someone with people who are trained to provide additional support.

Help Is Available 24 Hours a Day

If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress, a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available throughout the United States.

Call or text 988.

The Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. People can also connect with a crisis counselor through online chat.

If someone is in an immediate life-threatening situation, call 911 or seek emergency medical care.

You do not have to wait until you’re certain something is a crisis to reach out.

Hope Starts With Connection

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month reminds us that conversations about mental health should not be limited to September.

People need connection all year long.

Notice the people around you.

Check in when something doesn’t seem right.

Listen without judgment.

Share resources.

Follow up.

And remember that sometimes one compassionate conversation can be the beginning of someone finding the help they need.

Connect. Support. Give hope.

Because everyone deserves to know that their life matters—and that they don’t have to face their hardest moments alone.