Fact: Women are still at risk of suicidal ideation even whilst pregnant

Many believe that pregnancy is one of the happiest periods of a woman’s life. This may be true for a lot of pregnancies, but there are many people who struggle with their mental health and experience suicidal ideation during their pregnancy.

During pregnancy, factors such as anxiety, hormonal changes, depression and feelings of a loss of ‘self’ can make women even more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Screenings and mental health checks during the perinatal period could help to identify some of these issues early, but it is not yet common practice.

Find out more about why the perinatal period is a risk factor. 

Fact: Many mothers experience post-partum depression. If left untreated, this can lead to suicide

Post-partum depression affects just over 17% of new parents worldwide, and new mothers with post-partum depression are twice as likely to attempt to take their own lives than those without. This is different from the ‘Baby Blues’.

Many new parents will avoid talking about these feelings for fear of being seen as a ‘bad parents’ or ‘uncaring mother’ by healthcare providers, as there is still a lot of stigma around what is usually perceived as a blissful time in life.

Fear of how they will be treated if they open up can even lead them to believe that their child might be taken away. It is important to understand just how scary and isolating this can be, and how this fear can add to the likelihood of acting on suicidal thoughts.

Read more about post-partum depression as a suicide risk factor.

Fact: Asking someone if they’re suicidal could protect them

Talking about suicide not only reduces the stigma, but also allows individuals to seek help, rethink their options.

It is safer to ask about suicide than not to ask about suicide. Conversations and language around suicide do need to be carefully managed. Asking someone if they’re having suicidal thoughts can give them permission to tell you how they feel and let them know they are not a burden.

Fact: Many suicidal crises can be relatively short-lived

Most people who feel suicidal do not want to end their lives, they just want the situation they are in or the pain to end. This can be a short, but very intense, period.

The distinction may seem small, but it is very important. It’s why talking through other options at the right time is so vital. Safely intervene to keep people safe until mental health services can take over. 

Fact: Anyone talking about suicide needs serious attention

They are in pain and may feel hopeless. Most people who die by suicide have talked about it first – we should always take comments very seriously that indicate they don’t want to be here anymore, or people are better off without them.

Women are more likely to attempt suicide, but tend to choose less immediate and violent methods, leading some people to believe that they were ‘attention-seeking’ as they did not end up taking their lives.

Do not dismiss a suicide attempt as simply being an attention-gaining device. It is likely the this attention is needed and may well save their lives.

Fact: Warning signs, verbally or behaviourally, precede most suicides

Most women struggling with thoughts of suicide try to communicate that they need help, sometimes at an unconscious level.

Many women who are suicidal may only show warning signs to those closest to them. These loved ones may not recognise what’s going on, which leads to the idea that it was ‘sudden’ or ‘unexpected’.

It is important to be alert to potential warning signs and be prepared to ask about suicide if you are concerned for someone else. These subtle warning behaviours and comments can easily be missed or spread across several people.

Fact: One in five people have thought about suicide at some time in their life

Many people who die by suicide have struggled with their mental health, and others whose mental state meets psychiatric criteria for mental illness and who need psychiatric help. At the same time, some people experiencing suicidal ideation have no history of mental problems at all.

Suicide is complex and it is often most likely a combination of individual, relationship, community, and societal risk factors that can increase the possibility that a person will attempt suicide.

Fact: Women who attempt suicide are suffering with deep feelings of exhausting despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, or other overwhelming feelings

They often feel they are a burden to others. They may believe that suicide is the only way out to end their intense suffering and pain.

Describing these feelings as ‘selfish’ may make someone less confident in opening up about their feelings and cause them to internalise their struggle for even longer.

Fact: Active suicidal ideation is often short-term and situation specific

Suicide is often an attempt to end painful emotions and thoughts. Once these thoughts dissipate, or a situation changes, so will the suicidal ideation. Research shows that the most intense periods of feeling suicidal will change after around 24 hours and suicidal thoughts can be interrupted with timely intervention.

Some women, however, will continue to have times in their life when they consider suicide and need extra support. For example, someone with a mental illness may require ongoing clinical or medical treatment to reduce the symptoms and feelings.

Individuals with suicidal thoughts and attempts can live a long, successful life.