Facing Suicide

(uplifting music) - When my father was 56, he died by suicide.

This day-to-day work really is not about my dad's suicide anymore.

What it's about is the fact that tomorrow in the United States, over a hundred families are going to be bereaved by this.

And that's just in our one country.

That's a human tragedy.

And I want to prevent that.

- [Narrator] Thomas Joiner studies the behavior and motivations of people who die by suicide.

There's a lot researchers are still trying to understand about the causes and risk factors surrounding suicide.

But they agree that risk is usually present for a while before it becomes a crisis, increasing opportunities for intervention and prevention.

(uplifting music) But if a crisis happens, the impulse to act on suicidal thoughts can be very brief.

- The thing that we understand that suicidal crisis is usually one to 10 minutes.

One to 10 minutes.

It might cycle, that you might think about this over time.

But you're talking about the crisis.

The idea that, thought will lead to behavior is usually one to 10 minutes.

(clock ticking) - [Narrator] Because the window of time may be so brief, means of suicide matter.

Experts agree that during a crisis, limiting access to deadly means of suicide can save lives.

- The more we can keep someone from the access to something that could be lethal, the better chance we have at saving their life.

Means restriction is a way to make sure that somebody doesn't have access to a whole bunch of pills or poisons that they might use to die by suicide.

(somber piano music) - [Narrator] Firearms take an especially tragic toll.

In the US, the majority of gun deaths are not homicides, they're suicides.

More people die by suicide from guns than all other means combined.

- In the context of a suicidal crisis, if you have lethal means, it's more likely to result in death.

So if you have a firearm, you have a 95% chance of dying.

If you don't have a firearm and use some other means, right, you only have about five to 10% chance of dying.

So the means matter.

- If you are in a gun owning home, that is a very important aspect of suicide prevention, is to think about those firearms and making sure that they're stored safely and securely, ammunition separately.

And during periods of crisis, I would even go so far as to say, try to have firearms outside of the home.

- [Narrator] But limiting access to deadly means doesn't just happen in the home.

Communities can also take steps to make public areas and buildings safer.

- It might be ensuring that bridges have barriers on them or that high places and buildings that have observatories or walkouts have barriers to prevent somebody from using that to take their life.

- [Narrator] Experts say that blocking lethal means of suicide can be highly effective because if suicidal people are stopped in their attempt, they often drop their plans to harm themselves.

(uplifting music) - [Student] Gender disparity.

- [Narrator] Today, Dr. Joiner trains students who will become the next generation of therapists and clinical psychologists.

He feels hope as his students gain a better understanding of what causes suicide and how to prevent it.

- [Dr. Joiner] It's always been about preventing these tragedies from happening today.

That's been the ultimate goal.

- [Narrator] If you are considering suicide, or if you or someone you know is in emotional crisis, please call 988.

Call or text 988 for confidential, free crisis support.