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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS There
are always questions about suicide. We ask things
like "Why? How could they? Why didn't they let me
know?" Below you will find a list of questions, many
of which came from young teens struggling to
understand the suicide attempts of friends and
trying to learn how they can help. These "Frequently
Asked Questions" provide basic information that may
help you cope with the suicide of a loved one, or
may potentially help prevent a suicide.
How do I know if someone is thinking about
suicide?
Even though there is currently no definitive way to
predict suicide or suicidal behavior, researchers
have identified factors that place individuals at
higher risk for suicide. A person contemplating
suicide will often give messages or warning signs,
but these signs are often overlooked or unperceived.
Knowing the risk factors can make a difference in
your awareness of a potential suicide danger.
Don't some people who have attempted
suicide want to tell their stories? Can't others
learn from these stories?
Personal stories about suicide can be useful, but it
depends on who is telling the story and how it is
told. Accounts by adults who have recovered from
suicidal depression can be helpful. Notable examples
are Mike Wallace, the television news commentator
from the popular program 60 Minutes, and William
Styron, author of Sophie's Choice, The Confessions
of Nat Turner, and other great American novels. Some
TV shows seek to present suicide accounts by young
people, but they are usually exploitative and may be
harmful to the young person being interviewed. An
additional problem is that TV accounts may encourage
other young people to see a suicide attempt as a way
of getting attention.
If people read about the effects of
suicide (e.g. the condition of the body, the
terrible effects on the family), won't that make
them less likely to commit suicide?
Maybe not. Some television executives (including
HBO) believe "shock programming" that shows corpses
dead by gunshot or hanging will discourage suicide,
but in fact the shock value of a violent suicide
method may be part of its appeal. Anger and
self-hatred often play a part in the actions of a
suicidal individual, and these emotions create an
affinity for violent suicide methods. Remember that
sixty percent of people who kill themselves use guns
and another 15 percent hang themselves.
Can just reading about suicide make people
suicidal?
There is no reason to believe that a non-suicidal
person will become suicidal by reading a news story.
The great concern is that a suicidal person might be
stimulated to act by a news story, depending on the
nature of what they read and the way it is reported.
We hope that the press will cover suicide stories in
a responsible and helpful way so that the risk is
minimized.
What percentage of college students who
kill themselves are male?
75 to 80 percent of college suicide completers are
boys, although more girls will attempt suicide.
Why do you think more boys than girls kill
themselves?
Boys are more involved than girls in all forms of
aggressive and violent behavior.
What is the biggest cause of suicide among
college students?
95 percent of all college-age suicide completers are
suffering from mental illness, usually depression.
If a person is depressed, then they may also suffer
with substance abuse, anxiety, impulsivity, rage,
hopelessness, and desperation - and that can
increase the suicide risk.
I've heard that suicides are more frequent
around the holidays, is this true?
Suicides are not more frequent during the holidays.
It appears that the rates are the highest in April,
followed by the summer months, particularly June and
July.
It is often said that a suicidal person
goes through a period where he seeks for help from
other people. Does this then mean that it COULD be
ultimately the fault of other people (because they
don't appear concerned enough) that one decides to
kill him/herself?
It is not fair to conclude that an apparent lack of
concern could cause a person to attempt suicide,
although such perceptions could be a contributing
factor in some cases-particularly with elderly,
terminally ill people.
Apart from talking to a suicidal person
and encouraging him/her to go for counseling, what
else can we do to prevent this?
Going with someone to the counselor often helps. If
the person won't listen to you, you may need to talk
to someone else that might have influence with him
or her. Saving a life is always more important than
violating a confidence. Going with someone to the
counselor often helps. If the person won't listen to
you, you may need to talk to someone who might
influence him or her. Saving a life is more
important than violating a confidence.
People often get uncomfortable when
someone discloses something as intimate and
frightening as suicidal thoughts. What can be done
to reduce this stigma, either of suicidal or
depressed people? Can people actually "change" their
minds and accept someone who is suicidal rather than
shun them?
As more people recognize that suicidal behavior is
the result of a medical condition - not a sign of
weakness or character defect - the stigma will
lessen and people will change their minds.
What is the most frequent method of
suicide? Is the most frequent method different for
men and women?
Sixty percent of all people who kill themselves do
so with a firearm, accounting for more than 18,000
deaths each year in the U.S. Firearms are now the
most frequent method of suicide for men and women of
all ages, including boys and girls aged 10 to 14
years.
Not all of my questions were answered
here. Is there somewhere else I can find more
information?
Yes, additional questions and answers can be found
on the Web site of the National Institutes of Mental
Health, by clicking here: NIMH FAQs
References:
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