A mental health crisis can happen to anyone, even those who don’t have an existing mental health condition. Sometimes (though not always) the person in crisis may experience self-harm impulses or suicidal ideation. In these cases, knowing how to recognize what’s happening and react appropriately can save someone’s life.
What Does a Mental Health Crisis Look Like?
Mental health emergencies look different for different people. You may notice warning signs in advance, or they may seem to come out of nowhere. In general, changes in behavior (such as changes in work and/or school performance, social isolation, increased use of drugs and/or alcohol, and loss of interest in normal activities or hobbies) are often indicators that someone’s mental health is deteriorating.
inability to perform daily tasks (such as not getting out of bed, not eating, or failing to go to work/school)
poor hygiene, such as failing to bathe or change clothes regularly
suicidal thoughts or self-harm behaviors
psychosis (including hallucinations or delusions)
paranoia or seeming disconnected from reality
feelings of hopelessness, depression, irritability, anger, or anxiety
What Causes a Mental Health Crisis?
Mental health emergencies can be caused by a wide range of factors. In some cases, a crisis might result from an existing mental health condition being aggravated or exacerbated. Other times, a mental health crisis might be caused by trauma (such as a natural disaster or an accident) or a stressful event (such as the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or loss of a job).
Although anyone can experience a mental health crisis, some groups of people are more vulnerable than others. These include individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions, those without strong support systems or coping mechanisms, people living in crowded environments, and people who have experienced economic losses.
How To Deescalate a Crisis
Witnessing someone in crisis can make you feel powerless and scared, and it’s important that you equip yourself with the right knowledge, skills, and resources. Particularly if that person is suicidal, your intervention could save their life. The following guidelines are a great starting point for helping someone navigate a mental health emergency:
Assess the situation. Talk to the person in crisis and ask them what they’re feeling or experiencing. If they seem like they might be a danger to themselves or others, try to remove any potentially dangerous items, such as medications, firearms, car keys, or knives. If you’re able, stay with them until the crisis has passed or they’ve gotten help.
Remember to keep your own safety in mind, too. If at any point you feel that your well-being is in danger, leave the situation.
Listen compassionately. In difficult situations like this, it’s normal to worry about saying the wrong thing. However, experts agree that the most important thing you can do for someone who is experiencing a crisis is to simply listen, be with them, and let them know that you’re there to help. Offer validation and support, and avoid judging, lecturing, or reacting angrily. Try to ask the following questions:
Are you thinking about suicide?
Are you currently seeing a mental health professional?
What sorts of coping strategies and self-care usually help when you’re feeling bad?
How can I help?
Connect them with support. If the person is already seeing a mental health professional, encourage them to contact that person. If they’re not already receiving treatment, offer to help them find a mental health provider or local support group.
If they don’t have a current provider or they need immediate help, encourage them to call or text a crisis resource, such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or the NAMI crisis text line. It’s a good idea to keep these numbers saved on your phone so that they’re easily accessible if you ever need them.
If you believe the person is an imminent danger to themselves or others, take them to the nearest emergency room or call 911. If you do call 911, be sure to give the dispatcher as much information as possible about the person’s symptoms and what they’re experiencing.
Practice self-care. Seeing someone through a crisis can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Once they are safe, be sure to take care of your own needs and seek support if you need it.
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is dedicated to promoting the understanding and prevention of suicide, as well as providing support, hope, and healing to those who have been affected by it. AAS promotes the study of suicide as a research discipline, as well as public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS membership includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have an interest in suicide prevention.
By joining the AAS, the largest and oldest suicide prevention membership organization in the U.S., you will be among the ranks of the world’s leading suicidologists and suicide prevention experts. Ready to join? Individual and Organizational Memberships are available!
Suicide is a public health crisis. Each year, more than 700,000 people around the world die as a result of suicide, making it one of the leading causes of death for people between the ages of 15 and 29. In the United States alone, suicide ended the lives of nearly 50,000 individuals in 2021 according to the CDC —a 30% increase from 2000. And experts believe that for every individual who dies by suicide, around 25 others have attempted to take their own life.
Numbers like this are shocking, but their sheer scale can make them hard to digest, too. As these numbers represent individuals, people with full lives, and loved ones. The bottom line is this: nearly half (46.7%) of people know someone who has died by suicide. Broken down further, this means that for every suicide death, around 135 other people are affected, including family members, friends, co-workers, and more.
Even if you have been fortunate enough not to have known someone who died by suicide, you have almost certainly still experienced the effects of suicide, whether you knew it or not. In 2019, it was estimated that the total monetary cost of suicide and self-harm was $490 billion, including “medical costs, work loss costs, value of statistical life, and quality of life costs.”
At the end of the day, suicide impacts everyone. And as with any other type of public health crisis, it is our responsibility to ourselves and to each other to make an effort to keep one another safe.
How To Prevent Suicide
Although it might not seem like it, everyone is capable of practicing evidence-based suicide prevention techniques in their everyday life. In fact, research on suicide prevention has shown how even small things—like education and vigilance—can have a surprisingly big impact.
The fundamentals of suicide prevention include:
Educate Yourself. Most people who die by suicide show warning signs ahead of making an attempt. Sadly, these sometimes go unnoticed or unacknowledged until it’s too late. Familiarizing yourself with the red flags that commonly precede suicide attempts (such as depression, dramatic changes in mood or behavior, preoccupation with death) can help you recognize when someone is suicidal and potentially intervene.
Ask. Suicide can be difficult to talk about. What’s more, there’s a common misconception that talking about suicide might make someone more likely to consider or attempt it, which can make people hesitant to bring it up.
The key to talking about suicide is to approach the conversation from a place of care and compassion, to listen without judgement, and to offer help and support if you’re able. If you’re wrong, the worst thing that happens is that you have an awkward conversation while still showing the other person that you care. But if you’re right, you could save someone’s life.
Fight Back Against Stigma. Stigma around suicide and mental health can make it harder for people who are feeling suicidal to speak out about what they’re going through and get the help they need. On top of that, stigma can also make the grieving process more difficult for the families and loved ones of those who have died by suicide.
Normalizing conversations about mental health is one of the biggest steps we can take to fight stigma. In addition, pay attention to your words and try to avoid stigmatizing language around suicide and mental health-related topics.
Know What To Do in Crisis. In the event that you are with someone who is actively having a mental health crisis and/or whom you believe to be in danger of a suicide attempt, being able to respond correctly is critical.
First and foremost, look out for your own safety. Don’t try to intervene if you feel that your own well-being may be in danger.
If you can, stay with the person and try to keep them calm. Try to remove any weapons, dangerous items, or substances, such as guns, knives, drugs/alcohol, car keys, or medication. Encourage them to call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Alternatively, you can call your local Crisis Center, or in a life-threatening emergency 911 or take them to the nearest emergency room.
Exercise Your Civil Rights. Suicide is most often attributed to mental health concerns, but in reality, it also has roots in a number of other factors and deeper systemic issues. Substance use, lack of access to healthcare, community violence, economic and/or housing instability, past trauma, and more can all be risk factors for suicide.
While most of these things are outside our immediate control, we can make our voices heard by voting for political candidates and legislation that provide funding for mental health care and social support services.
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is dedicated to promoting the understanding and prevention of suicide, as well as providing support, hope, and healing to those who have been affected by it. AAS promotes the study of suicide as a research discipline, as well as public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS membership includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have an interest in suicide prevention.
By joining the AAS, the largest and oldest suicide prevention membership organization in the U.S., you will be among the ranks of the world’s leading suicidologists and suicide prevention experts. Ready to join? Individual and Organizational Memberships are available!
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is dedicated to promoting the understanding and prevention of suicide, as well as providing support, hope, and healing to those who have been affected by it. AAS promotes the study of suicide as a research discipline, as well as public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS membership includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have an interest in suicide prevention.
By joining the AAS, the largest and oldest suicide prevention membership organization in the U.S., you will be among the ranks of the world’s leading suicidologists and suicide prevention experts. Ready to join? Individual and Organizational Memberships are available!
*Originally posted on EIN Presswire on March 10, 2023.
Proposed Budget Includes Expanded Funding for 988, Mental Health Initiatives
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS), the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization, applauds President Joe Biden for continuing to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health in his Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget proposal. The proposal builds on the priorities he outlined in his State of the Union address and includes expanding crisis response and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline as well as increasing the mental health workforce, and additional funding that will support those in crisis.
“Suicide prevention and mental health issues are a bipartisan national priority, and we applaud President Biden for making both a priority in his budget proposal,” noted AAS Chief Executive Officer Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE. “As suicide rates have continued a two-year increase, the proposed increase of $334 million to ensure that the 988 and Behavioral Health Services program can effectively respond to the 9 million contacts it is estimated to receive in 2024 is an essential resource that quite literally will save lives. Ensuring that there is a trained and caring voice on the other end of the line when someone in crisis reaches out is essential to stemming this tide and getting individuals the assistance they need.”
That increase would provide a total of $836 million for the 988 and Behavioral Health Services program in FY 2024 and includes needed specialized services for Spanish speakers and LGBTQI youth as well as a national media campaign for 988.
Among the other key suicide prevention and mental health funding proposals are: • $2.54 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health, an increase of $200 million, for research and diagnostics. • $1.653 billion for the Community Mental Health Block Grant, an increase of $645 million, that would allow states fill gaps in mental health systems. • $578 million to increase school-based counselors and other health professionals. • $553 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, an increase of $168 million. • $100 million for mobile crisis response, an increase of $80 million, that dramatically bolsters in-person response to crisis situations. • Expansion of the types of Medicare-covered mental health providers, requiring three free mental health visits annually under Medicare and private plans, and eliminating Medicare’s 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services.
“AAS encourages bipartisan congressional support of these necessary measures to increase our nation’s ability to support those in crisis at a time when they are most vulnerable,” Sherman noted.
About American Association of Suicidology
The American Association of Suicidology is the world’s largest membership-based suicide prevention organization. Founded in 1968 by Edwin S. Shneidman, PhD, AAS promotes the research of suicide and its prevention, public awareness programs, public education and training for professionals and volunteers. The membership of AAS includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center professionals, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have in interest in suicide prevention. You can learn more about AAS at www.suicidology.org.
Responsible reporting on suicide, including stories of hope and resilience, can prevent more suicides. Please visit the Media as Partners in Suicide Prevention: Suicide Reporting Recommendations for more details. For additional information, please visit SuicideReportingToolkit.com and Stanford University’s Media and Mental Health Initiative. For crisis services anywhere in the world, please visit FindAHelpline.org.
Trish Stukbauer American Association of Suicidology +1 980-553-1537
The conversation around mental health has grown substantially in recent years. More and more, we are beginning to understand just how big an impact mental health has on our lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around one in five people in the United States (20%) will experience some form of mental illness in a given year. Depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the most diagnosis.
Mental Health and Suicide
Contrary to what many people believe, mental health issues are by no means the only cause of suicide, and the vast majority of people with mental illness do not die by suicide. In reality, the risk factors for suicide are many and varied, and suicide is rarely linked to a cause.
However, mental health concerns has been identified as one of the most common risk factors for suicide. Data from the CDC shows that 46% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition, and it is likely that many more were living with an undiagnosed condition. Overall, experts agree that destigmatizing mental health concerns and making mental health treatment more accessible are key components of suicide prevention strategies.
On an individual level, cultivating an awareness of your own mental health and developing positive coping strategies can go a long way toward building resilience and improving (or maintaining) your overall well-being.
Strategies To Boost Your Mental Health
Nowadays, there are innumerable articles, videos, podcasts, and other forms of media about how to improve your mental health and practice self-care. Unfortunately, the problem with many of these is that they aren’t always accessible or realistic, particularly for people with busy lives or limited financial resources.
But taking care of your mental health does not have to mean taking a vacation or spending extravagant sums on self-care spa days (although there is nothing wrong with either of those!). Here, we have outlined a selection of research-backed practices and habits that can fit into even the busiest of schedules.
Move your body—any amount. In today’s all-or-nothing culture, it is easy to convince ourselves that if we cannot commit to a full workout, it is not worth trying. But actually, this is not true. Even a few minutes of exercise are better than nothing. If sticking to a time-consuming workout regimen isn’t in the cards for you, settle for taking a short walk during your lunch break or trying out free YouTube workout videos when the kids are sleeping.
Go to therapy. Talk therapy can be remarkably effective for addressing any mental health concerns you may be experiencing or developing a set of coping skills to help with future problems. It is true that therapy can be cost prohibitive if you do not have health insurance; however, low-cost options are available if you are willing to put in the work to find them. These include:
University or School counselors (if you are a student)
Community-Based Clinics (check with your local social services department for recommendations)
Marie Kondo your mental health. Sometimes, improving your mental health is not about adding something so much as taking something away. Take stock of your life and identify the things that are not serving you anymore, such as the amount you are drinking, a stressful relationship, or a bad spending habit. Ask yourself what is serving and fulfilling your life. Identify areas you would like to address.
Cultivate a community. A good support system is like a life jacket for your mental health—indispensable. Consider looking for new social connections or reinvesting in your current relationships.
Find ways to cope with stress. A big part of mental health is finding ways to cope with stress in the moment. Fortunately, there are virtually innumerable ways to manage stress, including mindfulness, breathing exercises, journaling, spending time outdoors, and more. Explore different techniques and find a few that work well for you, then make a point of implementing them when you’re feeling tense or anxious.
Understanding the relationship between suicide and mental health is crucial to suicide prevention efforts. The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is dedicated to promoting the understanding and prevention of suicide, as well as providing support, hope, and healing to those who have been affected by it.
AAS promotes the study of suicide as a research discipline, as well as public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS membership includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of lay persons who have an interest in suicide prevention.
By joining the AAS, the largest and oldest suicide prevention membership organization in the U.S., you will be among the ranks of the world’s leading suicidologists and suicide prevention experts. Ready to join? Individual and Organizational Memberships are available!
AAS has taken a concerted effort to review, update and enhance all public statements and positions on policy and items of interest. AAS’s mission to promote the understanding and prevention of suicide and support those who have been affected by it is clear that every life matters.
As an over 55-year-old 501 c3 organization, AAS promotes research, public awareness programs, education and training, and serves as the national clearinghouse for information on suicide.
As of this date, the 2017 statement on Physician-Assisted Death has been retired and a task force consisting of leaders within the industry from various disciplines across the globe will determine any future positions or statements on this subject matter which will be referred to the AAS Board of Directors for future action.
For questions or inquiries contact:
Leeann Sherman, MPS, CAE Chief Executive Officer Info@suicidology.org www.suicidology.org 888-9 PREVENT Approved by AAS Executive Committee, February 24, 2023
Suicide is a complex issue that can affect everyone, including those who have died by suicide, survivors, family members, friends, and members of the wider community. Further, experts recognize that suicide is often rooted in a broad net of interconnected factors, including social, physical, circumstantial, psychological, economic, and cultural issues.
Nevertheless, in spite of the work of today’s leading suicidologists, suicide’s far-reaching effects and its links to various different aspects of our lives remain poorly understood and highly stigmatized. In particular, the widespread stigma around suicide is extremely harmful both to the people who are affected by it and to suicide prevention initiatives. For suicide prevention and treatment efforts to succeed, public health efforts including policy, funding, and research efforts need to be prioritized to improve the health and safety of those impacted most.
What Does Stigma Around Suicide Look Like?
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), stigma is defined as “the negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual that may be regarded as a mental, physical, or social deficiency. A stigma implies social disapproval and can lead unfairly to discrimination against and exclusion of the individual.”
The stigma around suicide takes a variety of different forms. Often, it manifests as negative beliefs or stereotypes about suicide and the people affected by it. Those individuals (including those who have died by suicide, survivors, and their families) may also experience distrust and avoidance from other people, and may even receive differential treatment from professionals or social institutions.
What Contributes to the Stigma Around Suicide?
Historically, suicide has long been associated with immorality. Many religions (including Christianity, and especially Catholicism) consider suicide to be a sin. To this day, suicide remains illegal in many countries.
Broadly speaking, stigma is almost always the result of ignorance or false beliefs, and the stigma around suicide is no exception. There are many myths attributed to suicide, many of which are perpetuated by media and social media, and have reinforced existing stigmas around suicide. As a result, they become even more entrenched in our social consciousness.
What is the Impact of Suicide Stigma?
These beliefs are not just untrue (and in many cases, unfair) — they are also actively harmful to anyone who has been affected by suicide. For example:
Stigma may impede the healing and recovery process for people who have attempted suicide. In some cases, the care they receive from healthcare professionals might be inadequate; that is, it might address their physical needs without taking care of the emotional or psychological needs that caused the attempt in the first place.
Individuals who are suicidal might hesitate to reach out for help because they are afraid of being perceived as weak or a failure if they admit to contemplating suicide. This may result in any mental health issues they are experiencing being exacerbated.
The families and loved ones of individuals who have died by suicide may experience feelings of self-blame of guilt, or may feel judged by other people. This, in turn, can impede their mourning process and make it difficult for them to find support in their grief.
How To End the Stigma of Suicide
Fortunately, the stigma around suicide and mental illness is decreasing, but there is still a long way to go. There are things that each of us can do in our daily lives to promote suicide prevention and foster a supportive environment for people who have been affected by suicide.
In particular, normalizing mental health treatment and combating myths about suicide are arguably the most important actions we can take to destigmatize suicide. This starts with widespread education efforts around the causes of suicide and effective prevention techniques. In addition, access to resources and support for those affected by suicide is important in helping individuals who are thinking about suicide, those who have attempted it, and the families and loved ones of those who have died by suicide and survivors alike.
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) is dedicated to promoting the understanding and prevention of suicide, as well as providing support, hope, and healing to those who have been affected by it. AAS promotes the study of suicide as a research discipline, public awareness programs, public education, and training for professionals and volunteers. AAS membership includes mental health and public health professionals, researchers, suicide prevention and crisis intervention centers, school districts, crisis center volunteers, survivors of suicide loss, attempt survivors, and a variety of laypersons who have an interest in suicide prevention.
By joining the AAS, the largest and oldest suicide prevention membership organization in the U.S., you will be among the ranks of the world’s leading suicidologists and suicide prevention experts. Ready to join? Individual and Organizational Memberships are available!
