Communicating directly

The absence of risk factors or vulnerabilities does not mean the absence of risk of suicide. ​A person may have thoughts of suicide even though they are not in a ‘high-risk’ group, and not all members of ‘high-risk’ groups have thoughts of suicide​. Suicidal thoughts (and risk) can vary across a relatively short time period*

Communicating directly with someone you are concerned about is important if you think they are having thoughts of suicide. The best way to know if a person is thinking this way is to ask them ‘are you thinking about suicide’? Most people with thoughts of suicide want help to stay alive​.

​If you are concerned about your own thoughts of suicide, talk to someone who you trust and who you know will listen​.

The next section will help you to think about how you can ​talk with people who have thoughts of suicide.

_{​*Source: college-report-cr229-self-harm-and-suicide.pdf (rcpsych.ac.uk) 2020}