East Shore District Health Department
East Shore District Health Department
Suicide Prevention and Awareness
Crisis Response
Suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and the community. When people die by suicide, their surviving family and friends may experience prolonged grief, shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide themselves.
Postvention is an organized response in the aftermath of a suicide to help:
- Facilitate the healing of individuals from the grief and distress of suicide loss
- Mitigate other negative effects of exposure to suicide
- Prevent suicide among people who are at high risk after exposure to suicide
Get more information at the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board.
Suicide is death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die. A suicide attempt is when someone harms themselves with the intent to end their life, but they do not die as a result of their actions.
Do you know the warning signs for suicide?
Suicide can be prevented. If someone is at risk for suicide, you can watch for warning signs, including:
- Being isolated
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Looking for a way to access lethal means
- Extreme mood swings
- Expressing hopelessness
- Sleeping too little or too much
Circumstances That Increase Suicide Risk
Many factors can increase the risk for suicide or protect against it. Suicide is connected to other forms of injury and violence.
These are some factors that contribute to risk:
- Easy access to lethal means
- Previous suicide attempt
- History of depression and other mental illnesses
- Job/financial problems or loss
- Substance use
- Current or prior history of adverse childhood experiences
- Historical trauma
Additional Links:
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https://www.211ct.org/ https://afsp.org/chapter/connecticut
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