September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and deepen understanding. It is also an opportunity to center a message that can be lost in discussions of suicide: there is hope, help is available, and recovery is possible.
Suicide affects individuals, families, workplaces, schools, and communities nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, costing tens of thousands of lives each year. Behind every statistic are people, families, and communities, and an opportunity to strengthen support systems that can help save lives.
Prevention is not the responsibility of any one person or organization. It begins with all of us learning to recognize when someone may be struggling, creating environments where people feel comfortable seeking help, and ensuring that support is accessible when needed.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
Someone experiencing suicidal thoughts may not always say so directly. Changes in behavior, mood, or communication can sometimes indicate that a person needs additional support.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, warning signs may include:
- Talking about wanting to die
- Expressing hopelessness or feeling like a burden
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Experiencing significant changes in sleep or mood
- Increasing substance use
- Giving away important possessions
- Saying goodbye in an unusual way
Any significant change that causes concern is worth taking seriously. Asking someone directly whether they are thinking about suicide does not plant the idea in their head. Instead, a compassionate conversation can give someone the opportunity to share what they are experiencing and connect with help.
Listening without judgment matters. So does following through, whether that means staying with someone during a difficult moment, helping them reach a trusted person or professional, or connecting them with crisis support.
Building Protective Factors
Suicide prevention is not only about responding during a crisis. It is also about strengthening the factors that help people navigate difficult periods and feel connected to their lives and communities.
Strong relationships with family, friends, peers, and community members can provide a strong sense of connection and belonging. Access to quality physical and mental health care, healthy coping and problem-solving skills, supportive schools and workplaces, and cultural or community connections can also serve as protective factors.
Communities can help build these protections by reducing stigma around mental health, making it easier to seek care, fostering opportunities for meaningful connection, and ensuring people know where to turn for support.
Sometimes the most important action is also the simplest: checking in. A genuine “How are you doing?” followed by a willingness to listen can open a door. Continuing to check in after a difficult day, a loss, a crisis, or a period of isolation can be equally important. Support does not have to come from someone with all the answers. It can begin with someone willing to be present and connect the individual with additional resources, such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Making Help-Seeking a Sign of Strength
Stigma can prevent people from talking openly about suicidal thoughts or other mental health challenges. Fear of judgment, uncertainty about where to seek help, financial barriers, and concerns about others’ responses can make it harder to reach out. Changing that culture requires collective action.
Seeking help is not a failure. It is a step toward safety, connection, and recovery. This Suicide Prevention Month, we can each play a role in building communities where people know they matter and where asking for help is met with compassion and support.
If you or someone you know needs additional support, help is available. Reach out to a trusted mental health professional or healthcare provider. Visit the Mental Health Connecticut Find Help page for guidance, resources, and referrals to care. If there is an immediate safety concern, seek emergency assistance without hesitation.
