Fact: Those who have lost a friend or family member to suicide want the same support as anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. [1]

Suicide is a very difficult thing to talk about—but, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it. In the US, one person will commit suicide every 16 minutes—that suicide will have profound impact on at least six people [2]. There is one suicide for every twenty-five suicide attempts [2], and suicide is a leading cause of death among young adults—the second leading cause of death for young adults 24 to 35 is suicide—for the decade prior, age 15 to 34, suicide is the third most common cause of death [2]. Depression is the number one cause of suicide, and is not always diagnosed (or treated adequately), which becomes evident at the time of death [2], however, there are many other reasons a person may commit suicide, including other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, or in the case of individuals with terminal illness who choose to end their own lives (not physician assisted) to end their own suffering [3].

If you are concerned someone in your life may be contemplating suicide, here are signs to watch for [4]:

These signs should always be taken very seriously:

Many individuals also will exhibit a sudden change in their mood, becoming happier and calmer before committing suicide—a difficult sign to interpret because it would seem to most that the person has simply “turned around” [4].

If you think someone is considering suicide, here’s what you can do:

If you’re interested in learning more about suicide prevention, you can take a Mental Health First Aid course [USA] [Canada], and visit To Write Love on Her Arms.

If you need support, remember, help exists. Whether you or someone you care about may be contemplating suicide, help is easy as calling a healpline – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK [8255]) — don’t go through it alone.