World Suicide Prevention Day

Every year we campaign with over 70 other suicide prevention and mental health groups under the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA). Together, we ask governments in the UK and Ireland to make suicide prevention a priority.

This World Suicide Prevention Day, we're highlighting the importance of the language we use when we talk about suicide, especially when asking someone you're worried about if they're suicidal.

It’s important to talk and write about suicide safely and responsibly. Using the right language around suicide is key to breaking down stigma. When we use our words carefully we can create a safe environment for people to open up.

People who have been suicidal have often said it is a relief to talk about thoughts they are experiencing. Just being there to listen and showing you care can help. If they want to talk to someone else about how they are feeling, they can call Samaritans.

Just being there to listen and showing you care can help. Here are some tips on how to open up a conversation with someone you’re worried about: 

• Choose a good time, and somewhere without distractions
• Use open questions that need more than a yes/no answer
• ‘How are things, I’ve noticed you don’t seem quite yourself?’
• Listen well. ‘How’s that making you feel?’
• Avoid giving your view of what’s wrong, or what they should do

It's normal to feel anxious about asking someone if they’re suicidal, but it could save someone's life. Try and avoid saying things like ‘you’re not thinking of doing something stupid are you?’. Being patient and showing you care builds trust and helps someone to open up.

You could ask:

• Have you thought about ending your life?
• Are you saying that you want to die?
• Are you thinking of ending your life because you want to be dead, or is it because you want the situation you're in or the way you feel to stop?
  

Remember these dos and don’ts:

• Don’t share or repost anything that talks about suicide or self-harm in an unsafe way online
• Do report content you think might be harmful
• Do post sources of support and share stories of hope and recovery
• Don’t mention the method or location of a suicide; there’s evidence that this can lead to further suicides
• If you’re worried about someone, do ask if they’re feeling suicidal, and help them get the support they need
• Don’t use language that could come across as judgmental. For example, ‘don’t do anything stupid’
• Don’t say committed suicide. ‘Committed’ suggests suicide is illegal, which it isn’t
• Do say took his/her/their own life or died by suicide
• Don’t share or repost anything that talks about suicide or self-harm in an unsafe way online
• Do report content you think might be harmful

Find out more about supporting someone you’re worried about and how you can talk about suicide safely online

• Supporting someone with suicidal thoughts
• How to support someone you're worried about
• In the moment
• Online Safety Resources

We also have Little Tips for helping someone open up when something's up.

Support WSPD

There are lots of ways you can support World Suicide Prevention Day. Below is a funders toolkit for our partners and external organisations, as well as assets anyone is welcome to share on social on the day.

Funders Toolkit

We're so grateful to all of our partners and funders who support Samaritans on World Suicide Prevention Day. We've created a funders toolkit and a rail partner toolkit that includes tips and tools to share with colleagues to help support them, as well as suggested content to help you support the day and raise awareness on social media.