Responding
These slides are available for use with this section of the presentation. For information about downloading presentation slides, see Introduction.
If you observe clues that lead you to suspect someone may be suicidal, it is important that you check it out in more detail.
It can be difficult to acknowledge clues that seem to indicate that a person you know may be planning to kill themselves. But it can be tragic to disregard them.
- Trust yourself. Believe your suspicions.
- This is about being alert to suicide and being aware.
- The aim is to connect a person with thoughts of suicide to other help.
What Do People Need at This Point?
The main thing that people need is to be heard and not judged. The most effective intervention you can do is to listen with empathy and be non-judgmental.
Let the person know you hear them, believe them, and understand their distress as best you can. Tell them that you will help connect them to appropriate resources.
It does not have to be a lengthy conversation. Sometimes a conversation and a referral can be made within 10 minutes. What is most important is that the conversation is based on active listening and care. Sometimes just a few genuine words of concern and understanding can make a big difference and help get a person to connect with a counsellor or the best person to help them. You can’t take away their pain or solve their problems. But you can care.
There are no magic words. Be yourself. If you are concerned, your voice and manner will show it. Be patient, calm, accepting. This is more important than having the perfect words.
You may think that it’s all just talk and wonder how that’s going to help, but asking a person and having them talk about how they feel greatly reduces feelings of isolation and distress. They become aware that another person cares, and this can give them a feeling of being understood. A conversation can take the edge off their agitated state, and it may help them get through a bad night.
Communicate your concern for their well-being by offering to listen. Good listening is more than just listening quietly. It means demonstrating that you can be supportive without being judgmental. It means accepting their feelings as the truth for the person, no matter how irrational they might appear to you. It means that you are comfortable enough with your own feelings to set them aside and listen to theirs.
What Else Can Help?
- Approach with concerned care.
- Understand with empathy.
- Recognize and relate with kindness.
- Ask with respect.
- Lead with hope.
- Introduce help with community.
Adaptations
To demonstrate how to respond in a helpful, compassionate way, you could show a short video from well-known sociologist Brené Brown: Brené Brown on Empathy. The BCcampus resource Capacity to Connect: Supporting Students’ Mental Health and Wellness has more information on developing empathetic listening skills if you want to explore empathy more with your group.
Starting the Conversatio