September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and yet, we believe every day is an opportunity to expand our awareness and skills to support the physical, mental, and emotional health of individuals in our communities. The topic of suicide can feel difficult (and sometimes frightening) to discuss, especially with youth, however, we know that having brave and important conversations can save lives. Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the 2nd leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 14, according to NAMI.
We have invited Dr. Renee Penticoff, PsyD LP, certified QPR instructor, and co-founder of the Suicide Prevention Collaborative, to share her knowledge and experiences. Our intention is to increase awareness and build vocabulary around discussing suicide and preventing death by suicide.
Here’s the summary of our conversation with Renee:
Q: What is the most important thing people can do to prevent suicide?
A: Ask the question. If there is someone you care about who is struggling and you are concerned about their emotional health, be as direct as you can and ask, “Have you thought about hurting yourself?” While our instinct might be to avoid this topic, for fear of “putting the idea in someone’s head,” research shows that asking the question opens up communication, can lead to finding needed resources and support and offers the person who’s struggling a sense of relief and validation.
Q: If the struggling person answers “Yes,” to the question, “Have you thought about hurting yourself?” what is the next step?
A: Call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. I’d like to share a story that happened recently. One of my teenage clients had a friend who was sharing suicidal thoughts on a social media platform and asked his mom, a trusted adult, for help. Earlier that week he had been given a promotional Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 stress relief fidget at a local community event. Remembering this resource, he and his mom called 988 together. After talking through the details of the situation with the crisis response worker, support was sent, and it ended up interrupting a suicide. A life was saved.
Q: What is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline?
A: A United States-based suicide prevention network of 250 crisis centers staffed by highly trained mental health practitioners who provide 24/7 service via a toll-free hotline with the number 9-8-8. It is available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, or, as I just shared, for anyone worried about another person who is struggling. I have even called this number with clients to practice.
Q: What kind of situations should warrant a call to 988?
A: If you are concerned about a friend or family member that is struggling because of their changed behavior and/or the comments you hear directly or on social media, the 988 staff is there 24/7 365 to offer effective intervention.
Learn More.
Q: Where can people develop their suicide prevention skills?
A: Kathy Flaminio, founder and CEO of MoveMindfully, and I have developed the MoveMindfully® Mind-Body Approach to Suicide Prevention Using QPR®, a suicide prevention training that teaches ways to talk about this difficult topic, how to persuade, and referral for help and support.
We believe greater success in suicide prevention is possible when evidence-based tools for assessing suicide risk and referral for support are combined with mind-body practices. Click for more information about the MoveMindfully QPR training. Contact us at info@move-mindfully.com to explore hosting an on-site workshop.