Common Myths About Suicide

Myths about suicide are often hindrances to preventing suicides. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) requires all city and county jails to provide suicide prevention training to jail staff. One of the goals of the training is to help ensure that jailers are aware of effective suicide prevention measures, and another is to expose myths that must be ignored so as not to take a step backward in efforts to avoid suicides.

Myth 1 – Talking about suicide increases the likelihood that an individual will commit suicide.

Fact: Instead of making things worse, there is significant evidence suggesting that talking about suicide likely reduces suicidal ideation. Conversing about suicide improves mental health-related outcomes and strengthens the likelihood that a person will pursue treatment. By talking about suicide, people get the help they need to find alternate ways to handle their circumstances. Jailers are encouraged to bring up the subject of suicide to depressed individuals and those demonstrating that they are in crisis mode.

Myth 2 – Inmates who talk about committing suicide are only seeking attention.

Fact: Oftentimes, inmates who end up dying from suicide had told someone that they were unable to go on or could no longer see a future for themselves. If an inmate says that he or she wants to kill himself or herself, he or she should be taken seriously in that regard. Responses to this type of statement should be direct, such as, “Are you considering suicide” or “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?”

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, and Part 15.  

This website seeks to help Texas inmates in municipal and county jails by providing resources that could be of benefit. Making insinuations that institutions or persons have been involved in misdeeds is not intended.

–Guest Contributor