Simple 3-step plan can help save a life

    Suicide is a challenging topic to discuss. Having the knowledge and experience to discuss suicide aids in the process of helping someone who is actively in distress.
    Centennial Mental Health Center offers a variety of suicide prevention and mental health awareness programs that teach participants how to discuss suicide and the steps to take if they are concerned about a friend, loved one or coworker. QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer Gatekeeper Training teaches a simple three-step plan to follow when an individual wants to help someone considering suicide.  
    Just as with most mental health issues, getting help is the hardest part. QPR’s first step is Question. This pertains to asking the question, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
    There are a few different ways to ask this, but research has found the more direct the better. Rewording the question, or trying to soften it, creates the opportunity for the individual contemplating suicide to believe the person asking still doesn’t understand what they are thinking.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.