One in four people with schizophrenia attempt suicide. One
in ten completes the act.
Although you can never guard completely against the possibility of suicide,
here is a list of actions that may indicate if a person is thinking about committing
suicide:
- The person talks about suicide:
- what it would be like to die,
- how to go about it, or
- makes comments such as "When I'm gone...," and so on.
- They are concerned about having a will and about who will get their belongings.
- They may begin giving away treasured belongings.
- The person talks about feeling worthless, for example, "I'm no
good to anybody."
- They show signs of feeling hopeless about the future, making comments
like, "What's the use?"
- The person may show signs of hearing voices or seeing visions that
may be telling them to do something dangerous.
Any talk of suicide or self-harm must be taken seriously. If a person begins
to talk about suicide or begins to injure himself or herself (no matter how
slight), it is very important that you reach their therapist or a medical professional
immediately. If this isn't possible, take the person to the hospital where they
were previously admitted or to the nearest emergency department. In many communities,
there is a suicide phone hotline available.
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