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Are you worried someone
you know might commit suicide?

 Asking if a person is thinking of taking their life,.

             does not put the idea in their mind.                             Use words like:

Suicide; Ending your life; Killing yourself.

e.g. 'Are you thinking of taking your own life?'

​

Yes

Find out how serious they are:

Do they have a plan?

No

Make sure they are safe

and can care for themselves.

Ask about the plan:

Have you prepared things? 

Do you have the means in place?

Ask if they intend

to carry out the plan:

'Will you go ahead with your plans

to end your life?'

Stay with them or get someone else to...

Ask if there is anyone they could talk to?

GP? Family Member? Friend?

Support Worker?

Ask if you can contact them.

If not, try to get them to do so in front of you.

If you can take them to a safe space, do so.

If it is imminent or they have already put the plan into action: call 999

or take them to A&E

Offer what immediate support

you can.

Signpost to available help.

See Key Contacts on Front Page

 

Ask them to assure you that

they will stay safe

until they get some help

Try to extract a promise, such as:

'I won't carry out my plan before speaking to my GP.'

The more precise the promise, the more likely they are to keep it.

Remember:

suicide is a permanent solution

to a temporary problem

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