False. While attention is what they indeed often receive, individuals who attempt suicide do so for a wide variety of complex reasons. Dismissing a suicide attempt as an attention-seeking action can lead to intentional or unintentional loss of life

2. Once suicidal, always suicidal

False. While someone who completes a suicide is likely to have attempted before, for many the suicidal crisis is soon past and may never recur.

3. There is a 'suicidal type'

False. Suicide is the great equalizer - individuals of many different personality types and all social classes and from all walks of life are counted among the statistics.

4. Asking a person to discuss his/her self-destructive thoughts will likely trigger a suicide attempt

False. The opportunity to share their fears and thoughts about death is welcomed by the person-at-risk. Channels of communication that are opened will reduce suicide as a taboo subject and will eliminate the denial of some strong emotions. Taking, by itself, will not necessarily prevent suicidal death, although talking about suicide in the presence of a caregiver will likely minimize the occurrence of suicidal behavior.

5. Suicide is generally committed without warning

False. Clues to suicide can be recognized in 70-80% of persons-at-risk. These clues can be transmitted by feelings, thoughts, activities, and physical state signals. They may be subtle or direct. All communications about suicide intent must be taken seriously.

6. The motives for suicide are easily established

False. Many different factors interact as predisposing and/or precipitating causes of suicide. There is no unitary theory that comprehensively explains a person's motivation to die by suicide.

7. Suicidal people clearly want to die

False. Most are weighing a balance between life and death up to the last moments before the act. The rationalization "if a person really wants to kill him/herself, nobody can stop him/her" overlooks the notion that the person-at-risk can change his mind.

8. Men have the highest rate of suicidal behavior in North America

False. While males have the highest rates of completed suicide, females have vastly higher rates of non-fatal self-injury (attempted suicide and parasuicidal behavior)

9. Someone who threatens suicide will not really do it

False. While they may indeed be crying for help, if the cry goes unheeded they may feel even more helpless, hopeless, and alone - which increases the risk of suicide.

10. A tendency to commit suicide is inherited

False. There is no evidence that suicide is genetically determined. There may be a tendency to model a family member's problem-solving and this is known as "familial transmission". There is some evidence that siblings, offspring, and "survivors" of those who completed suicide are themselves at increased risk of suicidal behavior.

11. Improvement in emotional state means lessened risk of suicide

False. The turmoil and indecision of a life versus death outcome may have been settled with a determined choice for death. Emergence from depression usually means changes in sleep, appetite, and activity prior to the 'lifting' of the depressed mood. This may mean that there is an interval during which the person is energized enough to carry out a suicidal act. It is very important to be vigilant with a depressed person who, for no reason, appears calm, settled or serene.

12. Depressed People are More Likely to Die by Suicide

True. The majority of people who have depression do not kill themselves. However, being depressed does increase a person's risk for suicide. The risk of death by suicide may increase with the severity of the depression. For example, approximately 2% of people who get treated for depression as an outpatient die by suicide.

For people who get treated for depression in a hospital (as an inpatient), the rate of death by suicide is twice as high (4%). For people treated for depression in hospital after talking about suicide or attempting suicide, the risk is even higher (6%). There are important differences in death by suicide for men and women with a history of depression. Approximately 7% of men and 1% with a lifetime history of depression will die by suicide.

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