Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

TOOL 24 Tips and Scripts for Talking About Suicide 1. Provide Accurate Information About Suicide Suicide is a complicated behavior. It is not caused by a single event such as a bad grade, an argument with parents, or the breakup of a relationship. In most cases, suicide is caused by an underlying mental disorder like depression or substance abuse. Mental disorders affect the way people feel and prevent them from thinking clearly and rationally. Having a mental disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and help is available. Talking about suicide in a calm, straightforward manner does not put ideas into kids’ minds. 2. Address Blaming and Scapegoating Trying to find the “why?” is common after a suicide, but sometimes this turns into blaming others for the death. 3. Do Not Focus on the Method or Graphic Details Talking in graphic detail about the method can create images that are upsetting and can increase the risk of imitative behavior by vulnerable youth. If asked, it is okay to give basic facts about the method, but don’t go into detail or talk at length about it. The focus should be not on how someone killed himself or herself, but rather on how to cope with feelings of sadness, loss, anger, etc. Sample Scripts “ The cause of ’s death was suicide. Suicide is most often caused by serious mental disorders like depression, combined with other complications.” “ was likely struggling with a mental health issue like depression or anxiety, even though it may not have been obvious to other people.” “There are treatments to help people who are having suicidal thoughts.” “ Since 80–90 percent of people who die by suicide have a mental disorder at the time of their death, it is likely that suffered from a mental disorder that affected [his/her] feelings, thoughts, and ability to think clearly and solve problems in a better way.” “ Mental disorders are not something to be ashamed of, and there are very good treatments to help the symptoms go away.” “ The reasons that someone dies by suicide are not simple and are related to mental disorders that get in the way of the person thinking clearly. Blaming others—or blaming the person who died—does not acknowledge the reality that the person was battling a mental disorder.” “ It is tragic that he/she died by suicide. Let’s talk about how ’s death has affected you and ways for you to handle it.” “How can we figure out the best ways to deal with our loss and grief?” Source: After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools (2018), by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ( afsp.org ) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center ( sprc.org ) 97