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Preventing Suicide Network Helping those who help others

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What to do to help as a Family Member

Introduction

Family members can help to keep their families safe from self-harm by learning about suicide, being active in addressing potential warning signs or associated factors with suicide, and seeking professional help for family members who are in need of assessment and treatment for suicidal thoughts and actions.

Listen, support, and act

Family members can be the first line of defense for a sibling, aunt, cousin, grandparent, parent, or other friend or relative who may be suffering with suicidal thoughts and actions. By listening, expressing support, and quickly accessing appropriate professional help, family members can help to prevent suicide (References 1&6).

Be a good listener . If family members express suicidal thoughts or feelings of depression, hopelessness, or worthlessness, be supportive. You may encounter negative reactions from the individual who believes that his or her condition is hopeless and will never get better. Let them know that they can get better with professional help and that you can help them to get the treatment that they need.
Do not promise to keep a secret about a family member's suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Keeping secrets about thoughts and plans for suicide can put a family member at risk for completing suicide...

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References for What to do to help as a Family Member

Resources

Electronic, print, and multimedia resources are provided to help you to find additional authoritative information on What to do to help as a Family Member. These resources are available from such national organizations as The National Institute of Mental Health as well as professional organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions.

Internet

National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC)

The NYVPRC is a not-for-profit organization whose sponsoring organizations are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as numerous other federal agencies in the United States. The NYVPRC is a central source of federal information on prevention and intervention programs, publications, research, and statistics on violence committed by and against children and teens.

The NYVPRC Web site offers specific violence prevention information for parents and guardians available at the following Web address:

http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/parents/index.asp

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What to look for

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