Experts wish more people spotted the signs earlier: feeling overwhelmed, not feeling \u201clike yourself,\u201d shifts in sleep, behaviour and mood.<\/p>\n
The United States has a mental health problem, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.<\/p>\n
More young people, especially girls, are reporting poor mental health. And while the national suicide rate fell slightly in 2024, it did so from one of its highest levels ever reported .<\/p>\n
Mental health crises can happen abruptly or build to a tipping point over time.<\/p>\n
They can be fuelled by a sudden loss or traumatic event, personal or societal upheaval, underlying health conditions, or any combination of factors.<\/p>\n
Whatever the cause, experts say the best thing to do is to spark a conversation as early as possible and connect to a broader support system.<\/p>\n
Key signals<\/strong><\/p>\n Mental health professionals say what constitutes a crisis varies from person to person. But there are some key signals that could indicate someone is struggling, and they can be subtle at first.<\/p>\n \u201cMy crisis might not be your crisis, but what we do know is that \u2013 however people define crisis \u2013 there is a change in how they\u2019re feeling, a change in how they\u2019re behaving,\u201d said Dr Theresa Miskimen Rivera, president of the American Psychiatric Association.<\/p>\n Crises can start as someone feeling depression or anxiety but not quite being able to pinpoint the cause, Dr Miskimen Rivera said.<\/p>\n Other signs can include:<\/p>\n If you see these changes, it\u2019s time for a conversation, experts say.<\/p>\n Crisis intervention experts recommend taking a moment to do some research and prepare before jumping into a conversation with someone in crisis.<\/p>\n Tips and resources can be found on the websites of organisations including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the American Psychological Association.<\/p>\n In the US, 988 is its mental health crisis hotline. \u201cWe get more than 10 million calls, chats and texts a year, and a lot those are actually people just looking for resources for someone in their life that\u2019s struggling,\u201d said Tia Dole, who oversees the lifeline.<\/p>\n Alex Boyd, director of crisis intervention for another suicide prevention hotline breaks the initial conversation into four parts:<\/p>\n – Start with an open-ended question that acknowledges the shift in behaviour.<\/strong><\/p>\n For example: \u201cI noticed you haven\u2019t been showing up to (the space we share) recently. I want to check in. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n Express your care and concern for the person.<\/p>\n – Ask what the crisis looks like for them.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s been going on for you that has led you to (name the change in behavior)? What\u2019s changed for you? What are you concerned about?\u201d<\/p>\n – Acknowledge it is a tough time and ask directly: Are you having thoughts of suicide or self-harm?<\/strong><\/p>\n At this point, you should also think about other support and resources for the person.<\/p>\n Your job is to support them, not treat them. Ask them: What would feel helpful right now?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a myth<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a common myth that asking someone about whether they are contemplating suicide can put the thought in their mind, experts said.<\/p>\n It may seem awkward or scary, but it\u2019s very important to ask people directly if they have plans to harm or kill themselves and if they intend to act on them.<\/p>\n If they have a plan, Boyd recommends saying something like: \u201cWhat would lead you to actually take that step? Because that sounds scary. I don\u2019t want that to happen. What would lead you to feel more escalated to act on the plan?\u201d<\/p>\n If someone is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, seek professional help immediately. Ideally, you can do this in collaboration with the person in crisis, with the goal of giving them agency and build their confidence to ask for help, Boyd said.<\/p>\n Calling a helpline can connect you to available crisis intervention teams or other specialized resources.<\/p>\n Phoning 911 (or 999 in Malaysia) or going to an emergency room are options, experts say, though not all emergency medical service personnel or dispatchers are trained in mental health intervention.<\/p>\n Mental health crises are complex, experts say, and it is critical to understand cultural stigmas and other barriers that might be at play in starting a conversation.<\/p>\n For some, jumping right in with diagnostic words like \u201cdepression\u201d and \u201canxiety\u201d can cause the person to shut down, Dole said. Others might not say anything the first time you try to have a conversation, but come back days or weeks later to talk.<\/p>\n Safe space<\/strong><\/p>\n Dole recommends using \u201cparallel activities\u201d to take the pressure off the conversation.<\/p>\n Creating space for a conversation about mental health while taking a walk or during a car ride can allow someone to open up without forcing eye contact or formality, she said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to validate and normalise the person\u2019s experience without minimising it, experts said. Don\u2019t write anything off as \u201cjust a phase.\u201d Sharing your own experience can be helpful to a degree, but make sure not to make the conversation all about yourself.<\/p>\n Your loved one may also need support as they navigate years of care and the complexities of the mental health care system.<\/p>\n Their options may be limited based on whether they have insurance, where they live or their personal identity. They may have to try several therapists before they find the best fit.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting help \u2013 the traditional, clinical help \u2013 is really hard,\u201d Dole said. \u201cIt takes perseverance to find a clinician.\u201d<\/p>\n She encouraged people to also consider leaning on other, nonmedical resources, including faith-based organisations, community centres and schools.<\/p>\n Above all, don\u2019t let the news that a loved one is struggling taint your view of them.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing suicidal or having a mental health crisis does not diminish who they are as your loved one,\u201d Dole said. \u201cThey\u2019re still them.\u201d \u2013 AP<\/p>\n Those suffering from mental health issues or contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim\u2019s Family, Social and Community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929, go to www.befrienders.org.my\/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers and operating hours, or email sam@befrienders.org.my<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Experts wish more people spotted the signs earlier: feeling overwhelmed, not feeling \u201clike yourself,\u201d shifts in sleep, behaviour…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":526650,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[276],"tags":[18,135,19,17,167,502,66214],"class_list":["post-526649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-eire","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-mind"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116721518366619639","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/526650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n