Language Around Suicide Matters

Posted by Jason Norman on May 18th, 2024

When a person is thinking about suicide one of the things that can help is choosing language that is more empathetic. This is something that can be a part of successful suicide prevention training. The words we use reflect attitudes and assumptions even when we might not intend them to. Here is a closer look at the importance of language and what alternatives we can adopt.

Reducing the stigma mental health and suicide carries

A lot of the language currently in use places blame on the patient or the person who tried suicide or died by suicide. Committed suicide comes from a time when it was seen as criminal and immoral, and so used a term that reflected that, like committing murder or adultery. If you know someone who died from a heart attack you would not say they committed a heart attack. That is the new approach we need to take with suicide. Rather than being vague, it needs to be direct. There needs to be no blame and the person needs to be thought of first as a person. Rather than asking a teen as part of youth suicide prevention if they have thought about hurting themselves, ask them do they think about killing themselves.

Key terms to re-consider

•      Died of suicide rather than committed suicide
•      Suicide death rather than a successful suicide attempt
•      Suicide attempt rather than an unsuccessful attempt
•      A teen or person that has suicidal thoughts and behavior rather than a suicide attempter or ideator
•      Describe their behaviour so perhaps risk taking rather than saying they are using manipulative behavior or have expressed a cry for help
•      Working with someone rather than dealing with someone

Media sensationalizing suicide in the country

The media sensationalizes suicide when they report it. It is partly their job in order to sell more news. But it increases the risk to those people who are at risk of suicide because they are impacted by the wording and attacks and negativity that come from that reporting. Just recently were many articles speculating about whether the COVID pandemic would see suicide rates skyrocket. Whether the journalists do it purposefully or not, the way they report increases the risk, it does not reduce it. Details are described gratuitously and for no reason, things are romanticized or glamorized. While discussion is essential for youth suicide prevention, that is not what many of these reports are aiming for or care about. What articles should include;

•      Making it clear that suicide in preventable
•      Offering actions people can take if they need help
•      Giving people a chance to communicate with others
•      Offering resources from people who offer real support
•      Not making suicide seem like a normal thing
•      Ensure people who feel in distress feel competent and able to do something about it
•      Not give unnecessary details about the death such as the state of the body

Conclusion

Part of suicide prevention training and media reporting needs to be thoughtful worded messages. Words matter and we need to ensure they reflect our new values and beliefs about suicide.