Depression
Drug and alcohol use
Non-suicidal self-injury
Prior attempts
History of trauma or abuse
Bullying
Exposure to suicide
Family history of suicide
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Clusters of suicide or “contagion”
Expressing:
A desire to die
Feelings of social disconnection
A feeling of being a burden
Low self-esteem
No hope for the future
A change in:
Personality
Behavior
Sleep patterns
Eating habit
Any suicidal intent must be taken seriously
Be genuine and present
Listen without judgment
Acknowledge pain
Honor thoughts and emotions expressed
Express love and concern
LISTEN & TRUST your instincts.
ASK THE QUESTION “are you thinking about suicide?”
SEEK HELP - always talk with another adult about the situation.
The “Trust Your Gut” moment
“I wanted to talk with you because I noticed…”
“Want to talk about it?”
Stating the concern
“I’m worried that you might be very sad, depressed, really upset, or even suicidal.”
Ask the question directly
“Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
Listen with compassion
Remember, you are not trying to fix or correct anything.
Get adult help
“We need to get some adult help.”
"Is there someone you feel comfortable talking to?”
"I know you like _____, let’s go talk with him/her.”
MAD Hope - A local suicide prevention effort based out of Bellingham.
NAMI - National Association of Mental Illness.
We R Native - Resource for Native American students.
You Are Not Alone - Resource for Native American students.
Teens Against Bullying - Website focusing on bullying prevention.
Trevor Project - Resource for LGBTQ+ youth.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline Call, text or chat 988 or call 1-800-273-8255
Línea directa nacional de prevención del suicidio en Español 1-888-628-3454
Crisis Text Line www.crisistextline.org or text “HOME” to 741-741
Trevor Project LGBTQ+ Crisis Line 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 678-678
Transgender Lifeline 1-877-565-8860
Compass Health Mobile Crisis Outreach Team 1-800-584-3578
Seattle Children’s Mental health Referral Service for Children and Teens 1-833-303-5437