For Loved Ones · Suicide
After a suicide attempt — what to say, and what not to
AFSP and Lifeline's guidance for families and friends in the days and weeks following an attempt.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention7 min read
AFSP's after-an-attempt resources are written for both the person who attempted and the people around them. The guidance is direct: avoid interrogation, avoid silence, name what happened, ask about the practical (means, sleep, follow-up appointments) before the existential.
Includes the lethal-means counseling concept that has the strongest evidence of any single household-level intervention.
Mental Hum's library is a curated index of authoritative third-party resources. The summary above is our own framing; the full information lives at the source.
A note on this article
Mental Hum publishes general education, not medical advice. If something here reflects your own experience, please consider speaking to a clinician. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.