MENTAL HEALTH
“That’s really what they are,” said LivingWorks’ Randy
Thompson, who sits on the Board of Trustees for the Construction
Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. “When people act in this
way, they’re inviting us to reach out, check on them and help them.”
Some of the common “invitations” to look for include talking
about death or dying, saying that they feel like a burden or see no
way out of their problems, giving away possessions, engaging in
risky behavior and alcohol or drug abuse. Changes in appearance,
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grooming or sleep patterns and loss of interest in regular activities
can also indicate that someone is thinking about suicide.
So if you’ve identified an employee or a co-worker who’s giving
off these “invitations,” what’s the next step?
Talking directly to someone
“If you suspect that someone might be thinking about suicide,
it’s important to be direct,” said Thompson. “Don’t beat around
the bush or use euphemisms. Use a statement that incorporates
what you’ve observed about them that’s worrying, and then ask
the question. For example, if there’s an employee on your site who’s
talking about feeling like a burden to his family, say something
like, ‘You’re talking about feeling like a burden and how it would
be better if you weren’t here. That really has me worried, because
it sounds like you’re talking about killing yourself. So I have to ask
you directly because I care about you – are you thinking about killing
yourself?’”
Don’t worry about offending someone or “putting the idea in
their heads” – studies show that’s not how it works.
“In the vast majority of cases, if someone is thinking about
suicide, they’ll be greatly relieved that someone cared enough to
reach out, and they will be honest with you that that’s what they’re
thinking,” said Thompson. “And if suicide isn’t the issue, they’ll still
appreciate your care and consideration in talking to them.”
From this point, the conversation can go in one of three directions.
The first possibility is that they say no, but thank you for
checking in. The second is that they say no but do disclose some
of the stresses in their life. Sometimes the indicators of increased
Through July 31, 2020, the Construction Industry Alliance
for Suicide Prevention and LivingWorks are offering the 60
to 90-minute LivingWorks START online suicide prevention
training at no cost.
Visit https://preventconstructionsuicide.com/training for more
information about how to access this program.
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