Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Recognizing When Someone Needs Mental Health Support
When someone is struggling with their mental health, it isn't always obvious. They may pull away from people they care about, seem more anxious or hopeless, or simply seem different than usual. Friends, family members, and coworkers may notice these changes without knowing whether they should say something, or what they should say.
Suicide is a serious public health concern, but prevention can begin with something very human: noticing when someone is struggling, starting a conversation, and helping them connect with support.
Knowing what to look for can make those conversations a little easier. Here are some common warning signs, ways to respond when you're concerned about someone, and resources available when additional support is needed.
Understanding the Connection Between Suicide and Mental Health
Suicidal thoughts can affect people in many different circumstances. They can also occur alongside mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and other conditions that can make everyday life feel increasingly difficult.
Research has found connections between suicide risk and conditions such as anxiety disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (Sareen et al., 2005; Panagioti et al., 2009). But a diagnosis alone doesn't tell us whether someone is suicidal. Mental health, life circumstances, relationships, substance use, stress, and many other factors can all play a role.
Sometimes distress builds gradually. Other times, a major loss, traumatic experience, relationship change, or other difficult event can contribute to a mental health crisis.
That's one reason early support matters. Someone doesn't have to wait until they're in crisis to talk about what they're experiencing or seek professional help.
Our post on the impact of trauma explores how difficult experiences can continue affecting mood, relationships, and a person's sense of safety long after the experience itself.
Warning Signs Someone May Need Support
There isn't always one clear indication that someone is thinking about suicide. Sometimes the signs are noticeable. Other times, they may look like stress, isolation, or a difficult period in someone's life.
Some warning signs to pay attention to include:
Talking about wanting to die, feeling like a burden, or having no reason to live
Expressing hopelessness or feeling trapped
Withdrawing from friends, family, work, or activities they once enjoyed
Experiencing significant or sudden changes in mood
Showing increased anxiety, agitation, or difficulty sleeping
Increasing alcohol or drug use
Engaging in reckless behavior
Giving away important or meaningful belongings
No single warning sign tells the whole story. What may stand out more is a combination of changes or behavior that feels significantly different from what is typical for that person.
If you're concerned, it's okay to check in.
How to Start the Conversation
One of the biggest barriers to talking about suicide is the fear of saying the wrong thing.
Some people worry that asking someone directly about suicide could put the idea in their head. However, research has found no evidence that asking about suicide increases suicidal thoughts or behaviors (Dazzi et al., 2014). In other words, you don't have to avoid the subject because you're afraid of making things worse. A direct, compassionate question can give someone an opportunity to talk about something they may have been carrying alone.
You might start with:
"I've noticed you haven't seemed like yourself lately. How are you doing?"
If you're specifically concerned about suicide, it's okay to ask directly:
"Are you thinking about suicide?"
From there, focus on listening. You don't need to have the perfect response or immediately know how to fix what they're experiencing. Take what they tell you seriously, avoid minimizing their feelings, and help them connect with additional support.
That might mean staying with them while they make a phone call, helping them reach someone they trust, or assisting them in finding professional care.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The service is free and available 24 hours a day.
You can also contact 988 if you're worried about someone else and aren't sure what to do next.
Treatment and Ongoing Mental Health Support
Getting through an immediate crisis is important, but support shouldn't necessarily end there. Ongoing mental health care can help someone better understand what they're experiencing and develop ways to manage difficult thoughts, emotions, and situations.
Therapy can be an important part of that process. Approaches such as cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) have been studied specifically for people at risk of suicidal behavior, with research showing reductions in subsequent suicide attempts and self-harm among certain populations (Brown et al., 2005; Linehan et al., 2015).
Psychiatric care may also be appropriate. A psychiatric evaluation can help identify mental health conditions and determine whether medication could be helpful in managing symptoms.
For many people, treatment may include both medication and therapy. We explore that relationship further in our article on how medication and therapy work together for better mental health outcomes.
At Agape Health & Wellness, we provide individual therapy and psychiatric care for people navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health concerns. Care is individualized because what support looks like can be different for each person.
Agape is not a crisis service. Anyone experiencing an immediate mental health or suicide-related crisis should call or text 988 or call 911 when there is immediate danger.
Creating a Plan for Difficult Moments
When someone knows they may experience periods of intense distress, it can help to have a plan in place before those moments happen.
One tool used in mental health care is a safety plan. A safety plan is a step-by-step guide that identifies what someone can do and who they can contact when they begin experiencing a crisis.
A safety plan may include:
Personal warning signs that things are becoming more difficult
Coping strategies that can be used independently
People or places that provide a healthy distraction
Trusted people to contact for support
Professional resources and crisis services, including 988
Steps for making the environment safer
Safety planning has also been studied in clinical settings. One large study found that emergency department patients who received a safety planning intervention along with follow-up contact experienced fewer suicidal behaviors during the following six months than those receiving usual care (Stanley et al., 2018).
Everyday coping strategies can be part of a broader mental health plan, too. Grounding exercises, paced breathing, regular sleep, movement, limiting alcohol, and staying connected with people you trust may help support emotional well-being.
These strategies don't replace professional care, but they can provide additional tools for navigating difficult moments.
You Don't Have to Wait for a Crisis
Suicide prevention isn't only about what happens during an emergency. It can begin much earlier.
It can look like noticing that someone has changed and asking how they're really doing. It can mean listening without judgment when someone tells you they're struggling. And it can mean helping someone connect with professional support before things become overwhelming.
If you're the person who's struggling, you don't need to wait until you're in crisis to reach out, either.
For immediate crisis support, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
For ongoing mental health support, Agape Health & Wellness offers therapy and psychiatric services for people across Minnesota experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health concerns. Our team can help you explore your options and find a path forward that fits your needs.
References
Brown, G. K., Ten Have, T., Henriques, G. R., Xie, S. X., Hollander, J. E., & Beck, A. T. (2005). Cognitive therapy for the prevention of suicide attempts: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 294(5), 563–570. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.5.563
Dazzi, T., Gribble, R., Wessely, S., & Fear, N. T. (2014). Does asking about suicide and related behaviours induce suicidal ideation? What is the evidence? Psychological Medicine, 44(16), 3361–3363. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291714001299
Panagioti, M., Gooding, P., & Tarrier, N. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behavior: A narrative review. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(6), 471–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.05.001
Sareen, J., Cox, B. J., Afifi, T. O., de Graaf, R., Asmundson, G. J. G., ten Have, M., & Stein, M. B. (2005). Anxiety disorders and risk for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts: A population-based longitudinal study of adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(11), 1249–1257. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.11.1249
Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., et al. (2018). Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(9), 894–900. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776
