Suicide

• There is no one cause of suicide but experiencing mental health problems can increase a person’s risk.
• You can try to help a person who is feeling suicidal by listening to and not judging them and trying to think about alternative options. It may be important to get crisis help.
• There are myths about suicide that can stand in the way of providing assistance for those who are at risk.
• Deliberate self harm may not be an attempt at suicide, but it can indicate someone may be more likely to try to take their own life in the future.
• Sadly, sometimes people will take their own lives. There is support available to people bereaved by suicide.

What makes people want to kill themselves?

Many things can increase the risk of suicide as it depends on how the individual views their situation.

Different factors might make some people more vulnerable than others. Risk factors might include something upsetting or life-changing happening such as a relationship breakdown, because someone is experiencing mental health problems or because someone is feeling isolated .

How can you tell if someone is having suicidal thoughts?

A change or changes in someone’s personality and behaviour might be a sign that they are having suicidal thoughts.

It will depend on what the individual is like when they are not feeling low, but some signs might include:

• losing interest in things they used to enjoy 
• unhappiness 
• lack of energy 
• spending a lot of time on their own  
• reluctance to spend time with other people