As we enter the beginning of September, communities across the United States participate in National Suicide Prevention Month, also called Suicide Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to spreading awareness surrounding suicide, reducing the stigma that is too often associated with it, and encouraging supportive conversations to remind those who may be suffering that help is available.
However, awareness is not enough. Ultimately, to make a difference, we must take action. Suicide prevention includes recognizing when someone may be struggling, having the courage to ask the hard questions, and helping someone who is suffering to get the professional help they need.
Suicide is a far-reaching public health issue, claiming tens of thousands of lives every year and leaving lasting pain for families, friends, coworkers, and communities. For someone going through a crisis, all it can take is one caring, courageous person to step in and offer a path from hopelessness to healing.
Let’s begin this life-saving conversation by taking a brief look at the history behind Suicide Prevention Month.
A Brief History of Suicide Prevention Month
Today, we observe what is known as National Suicide Prevention Month, but it has not always been so, developing over the last few decades. In the 1970s, the American Association of Suicidology was the first organization to raise public awareness about what had previously been kept quiet. The original observance took place in May. But by the early 2000s, the International Association for Suicide Prevention partnered with the World Health Organization to recognize September 10th as World Suicide Prevention Day. To align with the global observance, the United States shifted its observance to September.
The purpose of recognizing suicide awareness and prevention on a public stage has remained consistent. Just as it was when it began in the 70s, today’s mission is to educate, raise awareness, challenge stigma, provide resources, and encourage people to seek help. Giving communities the knowledge and tools needed to recognize suicidal behavior and take action, the purpose of Suicide Prevention Month is more important than ever.
The Impact of Suicide
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. With statistics identifying more than 48,000 deaths caused by suicide in 2024 alone, a staggering 2.2 million attempted to take their lives. These statistics are far more than numbers; they represent real people, family members, friends, and coworkers who are suffering from mental health issues.
Affecting more than the individual, suicide leaves behind parents, children, spouses, siblings, and friends, impacting communities as a whole. Death in and of itself causes a ripple effect of grief among the survivors. And with suicide, grief and trauma are accompanied by unanswered questions from those left behind.
But there is hope! Suicide is not inevitable. The Centers for Disease Control, along with many other organizations, emphasize that suicide is preventable. This means we can all play a role in suicide prevention without having to be mental health experts. The first step is recognizing the signs that someone you know might be struggling.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
Unfortunately, the signs of suicidal thoughts are not always glaring. Many of those who struggle with mental health do not openly say what they are thinking; sometimes the signs are subtle. Warning signs don’t always come in words, but rather in behaviors, actions, and mood changes. Potential warning signs might include:
- Talking about wanting to die or disappear
- Feelings of hopelessness, of being a burden, of no self-worth
- Withdrawing from friends, family, work, and activities one used to enjoy
- Extreme mood swings (sadness, anger, irritability)
- Giving away valuable and meaningful possessions
- Extreme anxiety, depression
- Reckless behavior, increased drug and/or alcohol use
Of course, these signs and behaviors do not always mean someone is suicidal, but they do suggest a person is struggling and could use some support. The most important thing is to pay attention when you notice something is off and trust your instincts.
If someone you know is exhibiting any of these signs, the best thing you can do is take it seriously.
How to Help Someone in Crisis: 5 Steps
The National Institute of Mental Health is one of 27 institutes that form the National Institutes of Health. The NIMH has a mission to cure and prevent mental illness, making suicide one of its major public health priorities. This agency has laid out 5 simple, actionable steps to help someone who may be having thoughts of suicide. These steps are:
Ask: This can be one of the most difficult things to do. Using compassion and courage, directly ask the person, “Are you thinking about suicide?” This simple, open, and honest question opens the door for a real conversation. Although it may feel blunt, asking someone who is in crisis if they are thinking about suicide often brings relief and presents the opportunity to be heard by another.
Be There: After asking how a person is doing or feeling, the next most important thing to do is be there and listen without judgment. You don’t have to understand to acknowledge the pain they are feeling and validate those feelings; you can simply say, “I’m here for you; you don’t have to do this alone.”
Help Keep Them Safe: Obviously, if someone expresses suicidal thoughts, their safety becomes the number one priority. If it seems as though the individual has a plan or a means in which to harm themselves, they should not be left alone. If the risk feels immediate, it is important not to try to handle the situation by yourself. Bring in other trusted individuals, mental health professionals such as a licensed therapist, or emergency responders (911) if the situation is emergent. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988) is also available 24 hours a day to help those struggling or those who are trying to help someone else.
Help Them Connect: Caring, compassionate friends and family are an important piece in a support system, but that does not mean they are equipped to be someone’s therapist. One of the most helpful things a person can do to support someone in crisis is connect them to a mental health professional. Meeting with a licensed therapist can provide an opportunity for the individual to address the underlying struggles contributing to the crisis and to learn how to cope in healthier ways, creating a path forward.
Follow Up: One of the most devastating things that can happen when a crisis passes is to disappear. Check in after the immediate danger has passed. Send a text, a note, or just make a quick phone call to say, “How are you? You are so important to me.” A message here and there lets the person know you remember, care, and are still available if needed without being annoying or constantly monitoring them. Prevention can happen through many small acts of kindness.
What Not to Do When Someone Is in Crisis
Just as knowing what to do when someone is in crisis is important, knowing what not to do is equally important. Although certain responses may be well-intentioned, they can shut down a conversation or push the person into further isolation. When someone talks about suicide, or you suspect they are in crisis, try to avoid:
- Dismissing their feelings or the situation (“It could be worse.”)
- Arguing, telling them suicide is selfish
- Promising to keep suicidal thoughts a secret
- Leaving someone alone who is in immediate danger from themselves
- Believing them when they “promise” not to act on their thoughts
- Being the only source of support
- Ignoring the signs and waiting for them to “get better” on their own.
Always use kindness and compassion when supporting a person in crisis. Approach them with calmness rather than pressure and help connect them with professional support. Remember, a crisis can never be resolved with one conversation, but that’s where healing begins.
Finding Professional Support Locally
Friends and family play an invaluable role in supporting loved ones through crisis. However, they cannot replace professional treatment. For long-term growth and healing, individuals struggling with mental health issues should seek local therapy that provides a safe space to process painful emotions, identify negative patterns, and develop effective coping strategies for a future that feels manageable and worth living.
For individuals in northern Utah, seek a licensed therapist in Layton to create a plan for managing difficult times and, if needed, more intensive care. Therapists at local counseling centers are available to work with people of all ages using evidence-based approaches to help process pain, regain mental health, rebuild hope, and develop lasting coping skills for a bright future.
Moving From Awareness to Action
This September, we take the opportunity to recognize Suicide Prevention Month and talk about this uncomfortable, but all-too common, subject of suicide. Taking precious lives every year, suicide can be prevented. Suicide awareness reminds us that awareness alone is not enough; we must take action to save lives. A simple observation, a caring question, a listening ear without judgment, and an introduction to professional care can take a moment of despair and open the door to healing.
No single person can prevent suicide, and no one should have to carry that responsibility alone. The most important thing we can do is reach out to someone in their darkest season to let them know:
They are not alone. Help is available. I am here for you every step of the way.