Socialcultural Risk Factors
• Lack of social support and sense of isolation
• Stigma associated with help-seeking behavior
• Barriers to accessing health care, especially mental health and substance abuse treatment
• Certain cultural and religious beliefs (for instance, the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma)
• Exposure to, including through the media, and influence of others who have died by suicide

What Can You Do?

Many people who die by suicide have given definite warnings to family and friends of their intentions.  Always take any comment about suicide seriously.  There are a few basic steps for helping a suicidal person:  show that you care, ask them directly about suicide, and then help them to get help.  Be genuine when talking with someone about suicide.  Don’t be worried about what you are going to say.  It is more important to show you truly care about the person than it is to say the “right thing.” Don’t be afraid to directly ask if someone is thinking about killing themselves.  It is a myth that if you ask someone about suicide it will cause them to think about doing it.  Don’t leave a suicidal person alone, but rather help them to seek help.  Tell someone such as a spouse, parent or teacher what the person is saying or planning to do.  If there isn’t an adult, you can call ASPEN directly.  There are also people available 24 hours per day, every day of the year to help you through a crisis by calling the lifeline number below.