Words matter.
Learning how to talk about suicide
in a hopeful, respectful way has
the power to save lives.
01 / Language Guidelines
The topic of suicide should be approached with care and compassion. Whether we are engaging in a dialogue, talking to
someone with lived experience or writing about the issue in a professional setting, being mindful of our language is not
just about being politically correct. It’s about saving lives.
As our knowledge and understanding of suicide evolves, the way we talk about it must evolve as well. To help you be
more conscious of your own language decisions, this guide will show you how to avoid reinforcing the stigma that
prevents people from seeking help when they need it most.
While there are specific terms and phrases to avoid when speaking about suicide and mental illness, the general
rules below can help you choose your words more carefully.
Avoid:
Anything that reinforces stereotypes, prejudice or discrimination against people with mental illness
and suicidal ideation
Anything that implies mental illness makes people more creative, fragile or violent
Anything that refers to or defines people by their diagnosis
Choosing our words carefully is about more than avoiding stigmatizing terms. The language we use can also have
a positive effect, which makes choosing the right words just as important as avoiding the wrong ones.
Be direct. We know that talking to someone about suicide won’t cause or increase suicidal thoughts, or cause the
person to act on them. It can help them feel less isolated and scared.
Be hopeful. People can and do get better.
Encourage people to seek help.
02 / Language Guidelines
These recommendations have been informed by the Canadian Psychiatric Association’s Media Guidelines for Reporting on Suicide.
Together, we can change the way the world perceives and treats people facing suicide.
The unfortunate reality is that many stigmatizing phrases and ways of talking about suicide have been ingrained into our
vocabulary. Even the most dedicated supporters of the mental health movement may find themselves slipping up from
time to time, and that’s okay. This does not make you a bad person—it makes you human.
If you catch yourself using problematic language about suicide or mental illness, correct yourself out loud. By letting those
around you know why your words were harmful, you can turn the conversation into a positive learning experience for
everyone involved. If we all put in this effort, we will see a fundamental shift in the way society addresses these issues.
INSTEAD OF THIS... ...SAY THIS WHY
commit/committed suicide
died by suicide / death by suicide /
lost their life to suicide
“commit” implies suicide is a sin
or crime, reinforcing the stigma
that it’s a selfish act and person-
al choice
using neutral phrasing like “died
by suicide” helps strip away the
shame/blame element
successful/unsuccessful suicide
completed/failed suicide
died by suicide / survived a
suicide attempt / lived through a
suicide attempt
fatal suicidal behaviour / non-fatal
suicidal behaviour
fatal suicide attempt / non-fatal
suicide attempt
the notion of a “successful”
suicide is inappropriate because
it frames a very tragic outcome
as an achievement or something
positive
to be matter-of-fact, a suicide
attempt is either fatal or not
<Name> is suicidal
<Name> is facing suicide / is
thinking of suicide / has suffered
through suicidal thoughts / has
experienced suicidal thoughts
we don’t want to define
someone by their experience
with suicide; they are more
than their suicidal thoughts
epidemic, skyrocketing
rising, increasing
words like “epidemic” can spark
panic, making suicide seem
inevitable or more common than
it actually is
by using purely quantitative, less
emotionally charged terms like
“rising”, we can avoid instilling a
sense of doom or hopelessness
He’s suicidal
They’re a schizophrenic
She’s bipolar
The mentally ill
<Substance> addicts
he is facing suicide / thinking of
suicide / experiencing suicidal
thoughts
they have schizophrenia / are
living with schizophrenia
people with mental illness
people addicted to <substance>,
people with addiction
putting the condition before the
person reduces someone’s
identity to their diagnosis—
people aren’t their illness; they
have an illness
people-first language shows
respect for the individual,
reinforcing the fact that their
condition does not define them
