Unfortunately the joy many of us experience during the holiday season also brings an increase in depression and thoughts of suicide for many. In case you receive a question that hints at suicidal ideation or have friends or family members talking about suicide, we thought we’d give you some tips.

1. It can be nerve-wracking to receive a question that mentions suicide, especially if you’ve not been trained in suicide prevention. But don’t freak yourself out about it. Recognize that this person’s life is in God’s hands. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and trust Him to give you the right words. Your response, or its timing, will not be what causes a person to commit suicide. And it may just be what God uses to renew their hope.
2. If a person is open about their suicidal thoughts, it likely means they have not yet decided to commit suicide. This is a cry for help; there is still time.
3. Don’t be concerned that you mentioning/asking about suicide will plant thoughts in the person’s mind. If they are hinting about hurting themselves or life being over, they’ve already had the thought and bringing it into the light is helpful.
4. Having thoughts of suicide is common. For most of us, it is a more passive contemplation rather than something we think we would actually follow through with. But for others, suicide seems to be a valid and viable option to solve their problems.
5. Some ways to assess risk include the following. Obviously we won’t know all of this through an email, but you can figure some of it out:
6. Does the person have a plan? If so, how detailed is it? Is it likely they have access to the chosen method? Is the method likely to actually kill them? Does the method leave an opportunity for rescue? The more detailed the plan and the more lethal it is, the more serious the risk.
7. Has the person attempted suicide in the past? If so, the risk is higher.
8. Does the person have a relative who has committed suicide? Or a close friend? Particularly if the person has a close relative who has committed suicide, the risk is higher.
9. Other risk factors: Males, young teenagers (ages 13-14), and elderly adults typically have higher suicide rates; suicidal ideation tends to be higher when people are just going into or just coming out of depression (when the person has previously experienced depression); people who are isolated or in a seemingly hopeless situation tend to have higher suicide risk; alcohol and drugs (even prescription medications) can increase risk; presence of mental or mood disorders increases risk; grief or recent loss of a loved one can increase risk.
   1. The best prevention is one-on-one care, which, obviously we cannot provide. However, we can speak truth. We can recognize the person. We can speak hope. And we can suggest that they talk with someone close by. If they don’t have anyone, in the U.S. they can always call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. Numbers for other countries should be available online. And you can also refer them to Kristin Brooks Hope Center / Hopeline at: http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html.
   2. It’s probably not a good idea to suggest reasons the person might want to live unless they have clearly mentioned some positives in their question. We can ask leading questions / prompt them for reasons that might make living worth it, but don’t assume to know the situation. For example, in a moment of desperation, it seems like a good idea to kill your children and then yourself rather than stay around to care for them.
   3. Keep answers fairly short and to the point, but don’t shy away from answering other questions the person may have.

We have some great articles and blogs about suicide that might be helpful to you as well:

<a href=”http://www.gotquestions.org/why-not-commit-suicide.html “>Why should I not commit suicide?</a> – http://www.gotquestions.org/why-not-commit-suicide.html

<a href=”http://www.blogos.org/christianlifeandgrowth/when-suicide-makes-sense.html”>When Suicide Just Makes Sense</a> – http://www.blogos.org/christianlifeandgrowth/when-suicide-makes-sense.html

<a href=”http://www.blogos.org/peopleandpolitics/depression-endurance.php”>Endurance in Depression; National Suicide Prevention Week</a> – http://www.blogos.org/peopleandpolitics/depression-endurance.php

<a href=”http://www.blogos.org/churchandministry/friend-depression-1.php”> Walking with a Friend through the Valley of Depression</a> – http://www.blogos.org/churchandministry/friend-depression-1.php