How to Report a Suicide Threat

Someone once said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, but that minimizes the depression, sorrow, loneliness and mental health issues that shape the landscape of suicide in this country. According to the Surgeon General, there are over 50 percent more suicides in the United States every year than homicides, and suicide is the ninth leading cause of death. So it's good to know exactly what to do if you hear a person threatening to kill himself.

If someone makes a real and immediate threat of suicide, it is a real and imminent emergency. This is true whether the threat happens in your living room or on the internet. You may hesitate, wondering if the threat is serious or just a cry for help. However, you simply can't tell, so you must respond decisively to prevent a tragic outcome. Unless you know a local suicide helpline to call, dial 911 immediately to report a suicide threat.

Emergency personnel will come to the home of the person threatening suicide, or to your home if the person is there, and speak with him. If they believe the person to be at risk for suicide, they will take the person in and hold him in a supervised mental health facility for 48 hours for observation. At the end of that time, the mental health professionals will decide if the person is to be released.

Sometimes you know that a friend is depressed and worry about whether suicide is a possibility. It is especially hard to report your fears and suspicions if the person does not confide in you about suicidal thoughts and intentions. In deciding what to do, it helps to keep these suicide risk factors in mind.

People are more at risk for a suicide attempt if they made previous suicide attempts, especially when they do not have access to mental health treatment or refuse to get help because of the social stigma. A family history of suicide is also relevant. Mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder or borderline disorder also contribute to a higher risk for suicide, as well as addiction disorders like alcoholism or substance abuse.

You may see certain attitudes that put a person at higher risk, including a sense of hopelessness, a feeling of being cut off from others, and impulsive or aggressive tendencies. Likewise, a painful loss, like the loss of a relationship, the death of a loved one or the loss of a job can make someone more vulnerable. Physical illness and being in pain can also contribute to the risk.

Another thing to consider is whether a person has easy access to guns, knives or other ways of harming themselves. Even access to a vehicle like a motorcycle or car can be enough.