Resources
Books
Don’t F*cking Kill Yourself: A Memoir of Suicide, Survival, and Stories That Keep Us Alive – Jeff Romig, 2021
In Don’t F*cking Kill Yourself, Jeff Romig details his own battles against anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation while sharing his stories about the people, passions, and experiences that have kept him alive through mental illness, divorce, alcoholism, cancer, and the legacy of his father’s Suicide. This book shares two potentially life-saving ideas: 1) that we can reduce the stigma around suicidal ideation by sharing our stories and 2) that we can push through our darkest moments of suicidal thoughts by connecting our minds with the passions, people, and experiences that define the best parts of our lives.
Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig, 2016
Reasons to Stay Alive is an inspiring account of how, minute by minute, Haig overcame the disease of depression with the help of reading, writing, and the support of his loved ones. And eventually, he learned to appreciate life all the more for it.
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression – Andrew Solomon, 2015The Noonday Demon examines depression in personal, cultural, and scientific terms. Drawing on his own struggles with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, doctors and scientists, policymakers and politicians, drug designers and philosophers, Solomon reveals the subtle complexities and sheer agony of the disease. He confronts the challenge of defining the illness and describes the vast range of available medications, the efficacy of alternative treatments, and the impact depression has had on various demographic populations around the world and throughout history.
Suicide Notes – Michael Thomas Ford, 2019
Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel from award-winning author Michael Thomas Ford that examines that fuzzy line between “normal” and the rest of us. It examines mental health and suicide.
Toolkits and Handbooks
Transforming communities: Key elements for the implementation of comprehensive community-based suicide prevention.National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (2017)
National Action Alliance is a US-based organization to enhance suicide prevention. This resource is a useful tool for policymakers as it presents seven key elements for comprehensive community-based suicide prevention, all aimed at helping communities create policies, programs, and services that reduce suicide and improve individual, family, and community health.
Practice Guideline for the Assessment and Treatment of Patients With Suicidal behaviours. American Psychiatric Association.(2006)
https://psychiatryonline.org/pb/assets/raw/sitewide/practice_guidelines/guidelines/suicide.pdf
This APA publication provides an overview and guidelines based on the current scientific literature on suicide prevention, assessment, and treatment. Part A outlines assessment, treatment, and risk management recommendations. Part B outlines background information and a review of the available evidence. Part C outlines where future research should be directed.
CAMH suicide prevention and assessment handbook.Centre For Addiction and Mental Health (2011).
http://www.antoniocasella.eu/salute/CAMH_2011.pdf
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is a mental health hospital located in Toronto, Canada. This handbook provides healthcare personnel some tools and guidelines in suicide prevention and assessment. It provides key clinical information, current CAMH tools and resources, and further population-specific resources.
Suicide Prevention Resource for Action.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2022).
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/resources/prevention.html
The CDC’s Suicide Prevention Resource for Action (Prevention Resource) details the strategies with the best available evidence to reduce suicide. The Prevention Resource can help states and communities prioritize suicide prevention activities most likely to have an impact. The programs, practices, and policies in the Prevention Resource can be tailored to the needs of populations and communities.
Suicide Prevention: The Family & Youth Institure Community Action Guide.The Family & Youth Institute.
https://thefyi.org/suicide-prevention-community-guide/
This Community Action Guide provides stories from survivors, guidelines for community leaders, and information regarding suicide. It can be a helpful resource for Gatekeepers, community leaders, policy-makers, or anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues.
IASP Policy Position on National Suicide Prevention Strategies.International Association for Suicide Prevention.(2023)
https://www.iasp.info/2023/10/06/iasp-policy-position-on-national-suicide-prevention-strategies/
The IASP puts forth a policy position recommending that every country should adopt, or make progress towards the adoption of a national suicide prevention strategy aimed at reducing rates of suicidal behaviour.
Suicide Postvention Resources for Canadian Communities.Mental Health Commission of Canada.(2017)
The Mental Health Commission of Canada puts forth this document of a collection of resources in Canada for postvention (people affected by suicide after a suicide behaviour, whether it is bereavement or someone who has made an attempt).
Multimedia
Websites about Suicide Support
Suicide Prevention Resource Centre
This U.S. Funded Organization advances the U.S. national strategy for suicide prevention. It contains many resources regarding information about suicide, suicide risk, warning signs, and suicide prevention strategies.
https://sprc.org/
National Action Alliance for Suicide prevention
This U.S. organization advances the U.S. national strategy for suicide prevention. It contains resources on suicide prevention strategies, stories from those with lived experience, and advocacy.
https://theactionalliance.org/
The Zero Suicide Tool Kit
Zero Suicide, is a revolutionary approach aimed at health and behavioural health care systems, grounded in the principle that suicides among those receiving care can be prevented. It offers both an ideal goal of eliminating suicide deaths and a practical strategy for achieving systemic changes to enhance the safety and care for individuals at risk of suicide.
http://zerosuicide.sprc.org/toolkit
Guyanese helplines
List of helplines to contact for various services and aid. Including the Suicide Prevention Help Line (592) 600-7896
https://findahelpline.com/countries/gy
Websites For Survivors of Suicide who have Lost Loved Ones to Suicide
Alliance of Hope
This organization helps survivors who have lost loved ones to suicide. It provides worldwide support in an online forum, virtual consultations, and grieving programs.
https://allianceofhope.org/
Friends for Survival
This organization provides suicide bereavement support and offers virtual meetings for those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
https://friendsforsurvival.org/
After A Suicide Resource Directory: Coping with Grief, Trauma, and Distress
This is an online directory of suicide bereavement resources, including other websites, books, and services.
http://www.personalgriefcoach.net/
Stories from Survivors – Live Through This
This online Catalogue of stories from Suicide Attempt survivor is curated by an organization whose mission is to change public attitudes about suicide.
https://livethroughthis.org/
Suicide Risk Reduction Project
The Pew Charitable Trusts’ suicide risk reduction project aims to make suicide risk assessment and care a part of routine health care in the U.S. and to fill gaps between people at risk of suicide and the care they need by empowering hospitals and health systems to expand the use of evidence-based screening and interventions.
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/suicide-risk-reduction-project
Suicide Prevention Program: Western Michigan University
This website from Western Michigan University’s Campuswide Suicide Prevention Program offers useful information about suicide and as how one can may be able to prevent suicide
https://wmich.edu/suicideprevention
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death. AFSP supports:
• Scientific research
• Educates the public about mental health and suicide prevention
• Advocates for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention
• Supports survivors of suicide loss and those affected by suicide
YouTube Clips
Movies and tv clips can be helpful resources to explore how common people work effectively to help someone who is suicidal.
- Survivors Talking about their Suicide Attempts
- Video about How to help someone with suicidal thoughts
- Role-Play on Assessing Suicidal Ideation
- Real Suicide Hotline conversation
- Survivor’s story about calling a helpline
- Survivors Go through Myths and Facts about Suicide
TEDTalks: On Suicide or Related Topics
Kevin Briggs – The Bridge Between Suicide and Life
Kevin Briggs worked patrolling the southern end of the San Fransisco’s Golden Gate bridge, a popular site for suicide attempts. He shares stories of talking to people who were contemplating suicide and provides advice to those with loved ones struggling with suicidal thoughts.
JD Schramm – Break the Silence for Suicide Attempt Survivors
Schramm encourages everyone to speak out and tell someone how you are feeling. Often survivors have unshared pain that is buried deep within. This hidden pain can often lead to a suicide attempt.
Gus Worland – Is Someone You Love Suffering in Silence?
Worland is a mental health advocate. He shares how a grieving experience of his own sparked his advocacy for suicide prevention. He shares how you can take simple steps to helping your community and how a little goes a long way.
Andrew Solomon – Depression: The Secret We Share
Solomon shares stories of his darkest moments when he battled depression. He shares his experience talking with hundreds of others with depression and how they wanted to share their stories as well.
Podcasts
There are many podcasts online that feature experts discussing suicide in accessible language and sharing suicide survival stories.
Podcast on Suicide by the creators of Live Through This website
Podcast episodes explore suicide with experts and people with lived experiences.
Before you kill yourself: a suicide prevention podcast
Leo Flowers interviews other mental health experts, comedians and best-selling book authors as they destigmatize mental health and teach you how to thrive
Understanding Suicide
This podcast interviews specialists, survivors, and individuals who have a story to tell. Themes include: grief, warning signs, risk factors, contagion, youth, and most importantly, what can be done to prevent suicide.
Suicide Survival Stories
This podcast gives a voice to suicide survivors. Episodes outline their stories and lived experience.
https://www.suicidesurvivalstories.org
The Suicide Cultures Podcast
This podcast opens up a space to talk about suicide in diverse ways. In each episode, hosts talk to a special guest with a link to or expertise in suicide, as well as draw on their own experiences of researching this issue in a range of different communities across Scotland.
Thoughts of Suicide
Through conversations about suicide, the goal is to stop the stigma and provide support.