{"id":18858,"date":"2026-04-16T12:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/?page_id=18858"},"modified":"2026-04-23T13:51:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T17:51:37","slug":"i-want-to-learn-how-to-help-someone-who-is-having-thoughts-of-suicide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/psych\/suicide-prevention-institute\/i-want-to-learn-how-to-help-someone-who-is-having-thoughts-of-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Help Someone Who is Having Thoughts of Suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"<som-cell cell-info=\"{&quot;ID&quot;:18938,&quot;post_author&quot;:&quot;122763&quot;,&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2026-03-04 14:17:07&quot;,&quot;post_date_gmt&quot;:&quot;2026-03-04 19:17:07&quot;,&quot;post_content&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;post_title&quot;:&quot;SPI \\u2013 Suicide is a Major Public Health Problem \\u2013 1&quot;,&quot;post_excerpt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;post_status&quot;:&quot;publish&quot;,&quot;comment_status&quot;:&quot;closed&quot;,&quot;ping_status&quot;:&quot;closed&quot;,&quot;post_password&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;post_name&quot;:&quot;spi-suicide-is-a-major-public-health-problem-1&quot;,&quot;to_ping&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;pinged&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;post_modified&quot;:&quot;2026-04-22 19:30:29&quot;,&quot;post_modified_gmt&quot;:&quot;2026-04-22 23:30:29&quot;,&quot;post_content_filtered&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;post_parent&quot;:0,&quot;guid&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.med.unc.edu\\\/psych\\\/cell\\\/spi-suicide-is-a-major-public-health-problem-1\\\/&quot;,&quot;menu_order&quot;:0,&quot;post_type&quot;:&quot;somcell&quot;,&quot;post_mime_type&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;comment_count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;filter&quot;:&quot;raw&quot;}\" cell-meta=\"{&quot;_wpv_contains_gutenberg_views&quot;:[&quot;&quot;],&quot;_upd_sortorder&quot;:[&quot;1&quot;],&quot;layout&quot;:[&quot;RepeatableBoxes&quot;],&quot;cellInformation&quot;:[&quot;{\\&quot;singleCellBlocks\\&quot;:{},\\&quot;repeatableBoxes\\&quot;:[{\\&quot;stat\\&quot;:\\&quot;\\&quot;,\\&quot;statSubheading\\&quot;:\\&quot;1,600+\\&quot;,\\&quot;includeLink\\&quot;:0,\\&quot;statDescription\\&quot;:\\&quot;people died by suicide in North Carolina in 2022\\&quot;},{\\&quot;stat\\&quot;:\\&quot;\\&quot;,\\&quot;statSubheading\\&quot;:\\&quot;49,000+\\&quot;,\\&quot;includeLink\\&quot;:0,\\&quot;statDescription\\&quot;:\\&quot;people died by suicide in the U.S. in 2022\\&quot;},{\\&quot;stat\\&quot;:\\&quot;\\&quot;,\\&quot;includeLink\\&quot;:1,\\&quot;boxUrl\\&quot;:\\&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.med.unc.edu\\\/psych\\\/suicide-prevention-institute\\\/suicide-is-a-major-public-health-problem\\\/\\&quot;,\\&quot;statSubheading\\&quot;:\\&quot;See more on the impact of suicide &gt;\\&quot;}],\\&quot;boxCustomStyles\\&quot;:{\\&quot;includeUnderline\\&quot;:1,\\&quot;includeLink\\&quot;:1,\\&quot;primaryHeading\\&quot;:\\&quot;Suicide is a Major Public Health Problem\\&quot;,\\&quot;backgroundColor\\&quot;:\\&quot;mediumBlue\\&quot;},\\&quot;boxType\\&quot;:\\&quot;statInfo\\&quot;,\\&quot;boxStyleOption\\&quot;:\\&quot;statistics\\&quot;}&quot;],&quot;apiCallInformation&quot;:[&quot;{}&quot;]}\"><\/som-cell>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"www-somHeader\">Action Steps and Guidance to Help Someone<\/h2>\n<div role=\"tablist\" class=\"panel-group yourcustomclass oscitas-bootstrap-container\" id=\"unc-accordion-0\">\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-0\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-0\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-0\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-0\">\n                Ask            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-0\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><strong>Ask them \u201cAre you thinking about suicide?\u201d\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s not an easy question to ask. Yet it can help start a conversation. Studies show that when you ask a person if they are suicidal it does not increase suicidal behavior or thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-1\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-1\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-1\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-1\">\n                Be There            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><strong>Listen to them without judgment.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is key to learn about what the person thinks and feels. Research suggests that when you acknowledge and talk about suicide it may reduce suicidal thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-2\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-2\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-2\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-2\">\n                Keep Them Safe            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s important to ask a person about suicide and make sure they have less access to lethal means. This can help them stay safe when they are having suicidal thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-3\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-3\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-3\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-3\">\n                Help Them Connect            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-3\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This gives them a safety net when they need it most. You can also help them reach out to trusted people they know. This may include family members, friends, religious or spiritual advisors, or mental health professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-4\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-4\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-4\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-4\">\n                Follow Up            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-4\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p><strong>Stay in touch with a person after a crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This can make a difference. Studies show that supportive, ongoing contact can play an important role in suicide prevention.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-5\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-5\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-5\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-5\">\n                When to Call or Text 988            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-5\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<ul>\n<li>If a person expresses suicidal thoughts or behaviors<\/li>\n<li>If a person has other mental health crises (anxiety, depression, etc.) If a person expresses paranoia<\/li>\n<li>If a person expresses abusive behavior<\/li>\n<li>If a person has ongoing substance use concerns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-6\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-6\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-6\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-6\">\n                What 988 Offers            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-6\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p>Call 911 if a person:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>is threatening to hurt themselves or others \u2022 needs emergency medical attention<\/li>\n<li>may have overdosed on a substance or mediation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-7\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-7\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-7\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-7\">\n                When to Call 911            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-7\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p>Call 911 if a person:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>is threatening to hurt themselves or others \u2022 needs emergency medical attention<div class=\" row clearfix\" id=\"unc-cards-0\"><\/div><\/li>\n<li>may have overdosed on a substance or mediation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-8\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-8\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-8\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-8\">\n                What to Say to 911 Operators            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-8\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<p>Say <em>&#8220;I need help for a mental health crisis.&#8221;<\/em><br \/>\nDescribe the person&#8217;s mental state:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>&#8220;They are not violent, but they are in emotional distress.&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8220;They are talking about suicide and need help.&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8220;They are confused, disoriented, and might hurt themselves.&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>&#8220;They are unarmed. They are not violent.&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ask <em>&#8220;Can you send someone who is trained in mental health crisis management?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"www-somHeader\">Resources on How to Help People<\/h2>\n<dl class=\"osc-deslist   oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<dt>National Institute of Mental Health<\/dt><dd><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brief guide that lists five action steps you can take to help someone when they have thoughts of suicide. <br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/5-action-steps-to-help-someone-having-thoughts-of-suicide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>American Foundation for Suicide Prevention<\/dt><dd><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">List of simple action steps you can take to talk with someone who is at risk for suicide.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/afsp.org\/what-to-do-when-someone-is-at-risk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline<\/dt><dd><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the U.S. and its territories.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/988lifeline.org\/help-someone-else\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>NC S.A.F.E.<\/dt><dd><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">North Carolina\u2019s statewide initiative to raise awareness of the importance of safe firearm storage. It provides resources and best practices for firearm storage and safety. <br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsafe.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>QPR Institute<\/dt><dd>QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. People trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qprinstitute.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>National Child Traumatic Stress Network<\/dt><dd>Fact sheet for youth ages 12 and up that provides guidance on how to talk about suicide with friends and peers.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nctsn.org\/resources\/talking-about-suicide-with-friends-and-peers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<dt>988 Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline<\/dt><dd>Helpful glossary of terms and language around mental health and suicide prevention.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/988lifeline.org\/learn\/glossary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Resource<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"www-somHeader\">Courses<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Free courses to learn about action steps, data, and how to help when a person has thoughts of suicide.<\/span><\/p>\n<dl class=\"osc-deslist   oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<dt>CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means<\/dt><dd>This is a free, self-paced, online course for health care and social services providers. CALM can help you feel prepared to talk with a person about how to keep them safe from lethal means. The term lethal means refers to objects or means used to carry out harm to oneself. This may include firearms, medicines, and bridges, for example.<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/zerosuicide.edc.org\/resources\/trainings-courses\/CALM-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View Course<\/a><\/span><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Free courses to learn about action steps, data, and how to help when a person has thoughts of suicide. &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122763,"featured_media":0,"parent":18342,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-18858","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Taking Action is Key to Save a Person\u2019s Life from Suicide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When someone has thoughts of suicide, it can impact their mental health and lead to suicidal behaviors or self-harm. 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