What responses do people at risk of suicide find most helpful and unhelpful from professionals and non-professionals?

Abstract

Background

People at risk of suicide frequently communicate suicidal thoughts to professionals and non-professionals. These groups, therefore, need to be aware of how best to respond.

Aims

We aimed to identify helpful and unhelpful responses to communications of suicide risk from the perspective of those at risk to inform suicide prevention messaging and education.

Method

We conducted an online survey (n = 141) of members of an online reference group for an Australian mental health organisation with a history of suicide risk.

Results

Most respondents had repeatedly considered and attempted suicide. Indirect suicide communications were more common than direct communications. Listening without judgement was the most common helpful response and “minimizing” responses to suicidal thoughts and feelings, the most common unhelpful responses.

Conclusion

We make recommendations for suicide prevention messages and professional education content based on these findings.

Keywords:

• Informal help
• suicide
• suicide communication
• suicide prevention
• suicide risk
• lived experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).