Suicidal Behavior Explained

This video explains the three components of suicidal behavior: ideation, intent, and plans. It emphasizes the importance of taking suicidal thoughts seriously and ensuring that individuals experiencing these thoughts receive the appropriate level of care.

Suicidal behavior has three components: ideation, intent, and plans. The first component is suicidal ideation. This includes thoughts about death or dying, wishes of being dead, or ideas about committing suicide. These thoughts can be fairly common in people experiencing brain health challenges or those in difficult life circumstances. Many people with suicidal ideation do not go on to attempt suicide, but it's crucial to take these thoughts seriously. The second component is suicidal intent. With suicidal intent, a clear idea of suicide is formed and thought about more consistently. A person with suicidal intent may think about suicide most of the time, imagining what life would be like for friends or family without them. The third component is the suicide plan. This is a clear plan of how the act of suicide will occur. In a suicide plan, the means of suicide will be identified and obtained, such as a gun or poison, and the place and time will be chosen. The presence of a suicide plan is an emergency. Whether someone is actively planning suicide or experiencing suicidal ideation without any intention of acting on it, it's important to ensure they are getting the appropriate level of care. Remember, people who are considering suicide are in pain, and they just want that pain to go away. It's important to extend empathy and compassion to people with suicidal thoughts.