September is Suicide Prevention Month and it’s time for another H4HK Cheat Sheet to help people to better understand the issue of suicide and how they can help. Last week we looked at Suicide Risk Factors, and today we’re looking at Warning Signs. Check back next Tuesday for our final cheat sheet in this series. The text of today’s cheat sheet is included below and a printable pdf version can be accessed by clicking the picture above.
Introduction
Warning Signs of suicide are those things to watch out for in a person’s life and actions that may indicate they are contemplating or planning suicide. They are different than risk factors which are things about a person’s history and background that statistically make them more likely to commit suicide. It is important to consider both the warning signs (current and specific to an individual) and the risk factors (historic and based on a person’s experiences) when assessing their risk of suicide.