Suicide Awareness & Staff Support

If your life is at risk right now and you feel you might attempt suicide or have seriously harmed yourself - call 999 or head to an Emergency Department. Mental health emergencies are serious - you are not wasting anyone's time.

If you are safe and need someone to talk to, you can get support here: 

• call our counselling provider (Health Assured) on Health Assured 0800 028 0199
• call NHS Mental Health Crisis support on 111 
• call Samaritans on 116 123 
• text 'HANTS' to 85258 
• If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.

If you think that someone is considering suicide, the steps below can help you to start a conversation and guide them to the right support.  In addition, you can complete the Zero Suicide Alliance training on Green Brain.  If you feel anxious or worried about talking about suicide, it's helpful to know that your feelings are very natural.  Many people find this topic scary or upsetting, they may feel nervous about saying the wrong thing or even worry that they could make things worse.  However, research shows that talking about suicide is hugely beneficial for someone in crisis as they feel less alone.  Suicide thoughts and behaviour are about looking for an end to pain, and many people are undecided about ending their lives until the last moment.  Inviting them to talk about their thoughts and the support available is likely to give them hope for another way through the pain and may quite literally save their life.

Ask directly.  You may be understandably fearful about asking directly, some people even worry that it will give someone the idea of suicide.  Research shows that the opposite is true, and asking directly is considered 'best practise'.  It shows that we're not afraid to 'go there', we're willing to listen and we're a 'safe' person who will understand.  They are much more likely to be honest, giving you an opportunity to listen and then discuss support options.  If they are not having thoughts of suicide, you never need to feel silly for asking - it will most likely be seen as an act of care, concern and connection, and enable them to talk about other aspects of their mental health.  It's possible that you mis-read the signs, but it's always ok to ask, just in case. 

Be clear.  Because this can feel like a scary question, it's easy to phrase it in a softened way that is less clear or effective.  For example, people may ask about "Dark thoughts" or use a double negative such as, "you’re not having thoughts of suicide, are you?".  Phrasing things this way may cause confusion and is less likely to invite an honest answer as they may not want to scare you.  For this reason, it’s important to be brave and be clear.  Find your own words, but consider something like, "are you thinking of ending your life?" or "are you thinking of suicide?"  While it might feel abrupt, it's actually much more supportive as it shows that you genuinely care about the answer.  

Thank them for sharing and listen with empathy.  Sharing deeply personal thoughts and feelings takes courage.  By thanking them, we show that we value their honesty and want to listen.  In your own words, it may be helpful to say something like, "I'm glad you shared this with me, thank you, I care about you and I want to help.  I'm here to listen."  You don't need to have the answers, just listen.  Give your full attention, use active listening skills, and demonstrate empathy, even if you don't agree with their point of view.  For more information about the difference between empathy and sympathy, see this insightful video from Brene Brown.  Other listening tips include asking open questions and giving them time and space to answer.  Use validating statements like, "It’s understandable that you'll feel this way,", "It's only natural to...", "It sounds like..."  People who have felt suicidal will often say what a huge relief it was to be able to talk about what they were experiencing.

Take it seriously and make them your priority.  If someone discloses suicide thoughts or behaviour, we always need to act on it.  Regardless of your schedule, stay with them until you can hand them over to someone who can support them safely.  It is better to be over-cautious than to later ask yourself whether you could have done more. But whatever happens, do not feel guilty. You can play an important role in preventing suicide but you are not responsible for other people’s actions.

Establish if the person is in danger now.  You are not expected to do a full assessment as this will be done by the care professional that you hand the person over to, but it will be helpful to understand if the person is in imminent danger as this will determine which support service to use.  For example, if someone has a suicide plan for today, they have the means on them, or they have hurt themselves, you should call 999 or take them to the Emergency Dept (if you're onsite at the hospital).  However, if someone is experiencing suicide thoughts but has no current plan, you could support them to call an appropriate helpline such as 111, Samaritans our internal Employee Assistance programme (if staff).  The full list is in the next section.  If they haven’t already shared their plans, it's ok to ask.  Consider something like, "Have you got any plans on what you would do?", "How/when/what are your thoughts on how you would do it?"  or "Do you feel you can keep yourself safe?" If you really don't feel comfortable doing this, remember that you can call one of the helplines together, and they can take the person through a thorough risk assessment and help them to develop a suicide safety plan.

Don't agree to keep it a secret.  The person may not wish to seek further support, or they may feel embarrassed, vulnerable, or worried about being a burden.  Whilst this is understandable, it's important to let them know that you can't keep it a secret and you need to hand them over to someone who can help them.  It may help them to explore their barriers to seeking support and their worries and help them to choose a service that feels less daunting.  For example, if they are a member of staff, they may not want to go to the Emergency Dept in case they see a colleague.  If they are worried about what to say to a helpline, you could offer to start the call and make the introduction.  

Help them to choose the right support service.  There are a range of support services that can provide immediate support:

• Our counselling provider (Health Assured) on Health Assured 0800 028 0199
• NHS Mental Health Crisis support on 111 
• Samaritans on 116 123 
• text 'HANTS' to 85258 
• Childline on 0800 1111 (if under 19) 

After they have received this support, ask if they would like to let their manager know so they can receive workplace support and/or a referral to Health4Work to receive any workplace adjustments in relation to mental health.  

After the event.

Get support for yourself.  Don’t underestimate the impact this may have on you once the immediate risk has passed.  You can call our counselling service on 0800 028 0199 anytime 24/7 or see this staff guide to emotional wellbeing support and resources.

Check-in with the person.  It is important to check in with the person a few days or weeks later to show that you care and value them.  They may also feel embarrassed or vulnerable and checking in will help them to overcome these feelings and feel more connected. 

Resources for further learning/reading

Help in a crisis :: Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust

Suicide Awareness Training Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA)

National Suicide Prevention Alliance 

Webinar by Health Assured: Suicide Awareness - video Dailymotion

Mental Health First Aid Training - available on Green Brain

Guidance from the Samaritans - If you're worried about someone else

Homepage | Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) (thecalmzone.net)

Helping someone with a mental health problem - Mind

Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

Health Assured -  24/7 listening support, even in a crisis.  Call 0800 028 0199

Support for you

Grieving the loss of someone who has died by suicide can be an especially complicated and painful process.  It may feel like your world has changed in an instant, and navigating day-to-day life can seem overwhelming. Everyone copes with grief in their own way, but here are some gentle and practical steps from Cruse Bereavement that may help as you begin to heal.

It is important to reach out and talk to someone, be it friends and family, colleagues, your doctor, or other organisations who can help.  Cruse Bereavement offer free support to people after losing someone to suicide, whether that's a family member, friend or colleague. They provide:

• Individual support for adults, children and young people and their families
• Practical support when dealing with the Police or Coroner
• Help on an individual basis, in groups or community settings
• Support for schools and workplaces

Guidance for managers where a team member has died by suicide

Losing a team member to suicide can be hugely distressing for the whole team as well as other departments.  Here are some helpful considerations when exploring support, but it's important to also reflect on your own wellbeing needs and the impact this may have had on you.  Please reach out for support yourself either from the resources shown, or by emailing staffwellbeing@hhft.nhs.uk

• Consider making a referral to the Cruse Support After Suicide Service who provide free support to both teams and individuals
• Avoid assumptions about how colleagues will respond and support and promote healthy grieving
• Encourage mutual support if possible and consider a Team Reflection Space, led by a Clinical Psychologist
• Give people time to process things at their own pace.  Some may need time off work initially but it can often help to resume daily routines and receive peer support from colleagues
• Where a colleague begins to experience serious long-term problems, encourage them to chat to their GP and / or consider chatting to their Mental Health First Aider to find out what other supports are available

Other links and resources

Help is at hand – Support After Suicide

Mind - Losing someone to suicide

Papyrus - Suicide bereavement support 

SOBS - Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide - Overcoming the isolation of people bereaved by suicide

CALM Suicide Bereavement Support | Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

Suicide is a major public health issue but if we can educate ourselves, and have the courage to invite conversation, we can literally save lives.  We can recognise warning signs, offer support, and help people to connect with professional resources.

• Get Trained:  Please complete the Zero Suicide Alliance training we have on Green Brain.  It only takes 20 minutes but it can help you to develop the skills and confidence to intervene.
• Learn How to Talk about Suicide: It's a myth that talking about suicide will plant the idea in someone's head. In fact, directly asking someone if they are having suicidal thoughts can be a life-saving action. It gives them permission to be honest about their feelings and shows that you care.  To explore further myths surrounding suicide, see this helpful guide.
• Recognise Warning Signs: Learn to identify the warning signs of suicide, such as talking about death or wanting to die, withdrawing from social activities, feeling hopeless, giving away possessions or showing rapid and unexpected recovery.
• Know the Resources: Be familiar with local and national support.  Having this information readily available allows you to provide concrete help to someone in need.  You can also pick up a Life Card which you can keep with you or give away.  Email staffwellbeing@hhft.nhs.uk to find out where you can collect yours.
• Consider becoming a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider):  MHFAiders can provide non-judgemental listening and signposting to colleagues, as well as support during a crisis.  To find out more about this, please see this guide.

At Hampshire Hospitals, we have taken the Baton of Hope Workplace Pledge to stand up to suicide.  

Together we can:

Please consider what steps you can take to support our pledge.  By working together, we can create a more compassionate and understanding society where suicide is seen as a preventable public health problem, and everyone feels supported to get the help they need.

• Join National and Global Efforts: Participate in events like World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) and National Suicide Prevention Month. These campaigns are designed to bring communities together and highlight the importance of the issue.
• Use Social Media for Good: Share safe and helpful content from reputable organizations. Use hashtags like #BeThe1To to encourage positive action steps. Share graphics, videos, and links to resources.
• Fundraise and Donate: Support organizations dedicated to suicide prevention. Donations help fund research, helplines, training, and public awareness campaigns. You can also organize your own fundraising events, such as a charity run or a bake sale.
• Talk about suicide with colleagues:  This may feel difficult at first, but talking compassionately and sensitively about our perspectives and experiences is the best way to help everyone to overcome the taboo, fear and stigma that holds us back for seeking support.  If you’re not sure about how to talk about this topic, you’re not alone, see this helpful guide about the sensitive and accessible language.  It's a myth that talking about suicide will plant the idea in someone's head. In fact, directly asking someone if they are having suicidal thoughts can be a life-saving action. It gives them permission to be honest about their feelings and shows that you care.
• Share Personal Stories if you feel able to: If you have lived experience with suicidal thoughts or have been affected by suicide, sharing your story of hope and recovery can be incredibly powerful. Many organizations provide platforms for people to share their experiences in a safe and supportive way.
• Have a Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider) in your team:  MHFAiders can provide non-judgemental listening and signposting to colleagues, as well as support during a crisis.  To find out more about the role, how they can help, and how you can nominate someone or become an MHFAider yourself, please see this guide.