What is suicide?
Q: What is suicide?
A: Suicide is when a person chooses to kill themselves.
Q: How common is suicide?
A: Suicide is one of the top three causes of death for young people aged 14–35 and the second most common cause of death for college students. Every 3 seconds, a person somewhere in the world tries to kill themselves and every 40 seconds someone dies by suicide.
Q: What are some reasons why a person might think about suicide?
A: Most people who are suicidal have some type of mental disorder such as depression or schizophrenia. Other causes may include extreme cases of bullying and inceldom, or stress from life events like losing a job or getting sick.
Q: Is depression treatable?
A: Yes, depression is often treatable and suicide can be prevented with proper treatment.
Q: When should someone get help if they are having thoughts about killing themselves?
A: If someone starts having thoughts about killing themselves, it may be a medical emergency and they should get a suicide risk assessment as soon as possible without being left alone.
Q: Are there any long-term conditions that could lead to suicidal thoughts?
A: Yes, mental disorders such as chronic depression which has been going on for a long time can lead to suicidal thoughts.
Q: Is there anything else that can be done to prevent suicide besides treating mental illness? A:Yes, providing support networks such as friends, family members or counselors can help provide emotional support which can help reduce feelings of isolation and hopelessness that may lead to suicidal ideation.
