ACT: Acknowledge, Care and find Treatment

1. Acknowledge

  • Do take it seriously.
    70% of all people who commit suicide give some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member.
  • Do be willing to listen.
    Even if professional help is needed, your friend or loved one will be more willing to seek help if you have listened to him or her.

2. Care

  • Do voice your concern.
    Take the initiative to ask what is troubling your friend, co-worker or loved one, and attempt to overcome any reluctance on their part to talk about it.

3. Treatment

  • Do get professional help immediately

If the person seems willing to accept treatment, do one of the following...

  • Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) to find resources in your area.
  • Bring him or her to a local emergency room or community mental health center.
  • Your friend will be more likely to seek help if you accompany him or her.
  • Contact his or her primary care physician or mental health provider.

If the person seems unwilling to accept treatment...

  • Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or a local emergency room for advice.
  • If all else fails... call 9-1-1.

What NOT to do...

  • Don't try to cheer the person up, or tell them to snap out of it.
  • Don't assume the situation will take care of itself.
  • Don't be sworn to secrecy.
  • Don't argue or debate moral issues.
  • Don't risk your personal safety. Just leave, and then call the police.

Did you know that...

70% of people who commit suicide tell someone about it in advance, and most are not in treatment. Sometimes those contemplating suicide talk as if they are saying goodbye or going away forever. Nearly 50% of suicide victims have a positive blood alcohol level. Although most depressed people are not suicidal, most suicidal people are depressed. Serious depression can be manifested in obvious sadness, but often is expressed instead as a loss of pleasure or withdrawal from activities that were once enjoyable. Between 20 and 40 percent of people who kill themselves have previously attempted suicide. Those who have made serious attempts are at much higher risk for actually taking their lives.

Created by Screening for Mental Health, Inc. with educational facts adapted from material provided by National Depression Screeniing Day (NDSD)
sponsors: the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, (AFSP) and the American College Health Association (ACHA). Consultants: Ross J. Baldeddarini, MD amd Kay R. Jamison, PhD