Suicide
Sometimes there may be obvious signs that someone is at risk of attempting suicide. However, this is often not the case.
A person may be athigh risk of attempting suicide if they:
If the person has previouslybeen diagnosed with a mental health condition, contact a member of their care team or the centre or clinic where they were being treated.
If you don't have these details, contact your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department and ask for the contact details of the nearest crisis resolution team (CRT). CRTs are teams of mental healthcare professionals, such as psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses, who work with people experiencing severe psychological and emotional distress.
While waiting for help to arrive, remove any possible means of suicide from the person'simmediate environment, such as medication, knives or other sharp objects, household chemicals, such as bleach and ropes or belts.
For more information about CRTs, the charity Rethink Mental Illness has a crisis teams factsheet you can download.
Aperson may also be at risk of attempting suicide if they:
If you notice any of these warning signs in a friend, relative or loved one, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling.
Also share your concerns with your GP or a member of their care team, if they are being treated for a mental health condition.
Read moreabout helping someone with suicidal feelings .
Suicide is the act of intentionally ending your life. If you're reading this because you have, or have had, thoughts about taking your own life, it's important you ask someone for help.
Despite being a leading cause of death, both in England and worldwide, there is little hard evidence to explain why some people attempt suicide.
Sometimes, there may be obvious signs that someone is at risk of attempting suicide, although this is not always the case.
If you've had suicidal thoughts recently, or if you're feeling suicidal now, contact someone for help.
One of the best things you can do if you think someone may be feeling suicidal is to encourage them to talk about their feelings and to listen to what they say.
It's impossible to guarantee you will never get a mental health condition, but you can take steps to improve your mental health.