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Crisis · Suicide Prevention

Suicide prevention — NIMH topic page

Warning signs, risk factors, what works in prevention, and how to support someone who is struggling.

National Institute of Mental Health10 min read

NIMH's suicide prevention page covers warning signs, risk factors, evidence-based interventions, and how to talk to someone you are worried about. The 'how to help' guidance is grounded in research showing that asking about suicide directly does not 'put the idea in someone's head.'

If you are in crisis now, do not read the page first — call or text 988, or 911 if there is immediate danger. The page is for the longer work of understanding and prevention.

Open at National Institute of Mental Health

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.