News & media

30 April 2026

Breaking the Silence on Suicide - A Difficult but Important Conversation

Trigger warning: This article discusses suicide and its impact on others. Many people find this topic distressing – it is distressing. Learning more about mental health helps to reduce stigma and misinformation, and increases our confidence in discussing these difficult topics, which – in turn – supports appropriate help seeking, and reduces risks of self-harm.  

For free and confidential 24/7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or see the bottom of this page for additional trusted support options.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of one of our members. Our thoughts and condolences are with their family, colleagues, friends and peers.

Loss, because of death, can always be emotionally challenging, and hearing someone has died by suicide is often accompanied by particularly complex and confronting thoughts and feelings. It is understandable to feel affected by learning that someone else has taken their own life, even if you did not know that person well. Support may be needed well beyond the days immediately following such sad news.

Suicide is a tragic and largely preventable cause of death. Sadly, it is still the leading cause of death in Australia in ages 15-44.¹ “Although health practitioners are commonly viewed as healthier than the general population, data indicate that they have higher rates of suicidal ideation and death by suicide.” – Hopcraft et al (2023).²

Thoughts of suicide are fairly common, and do not need to be acted upon. Research tells us that most people who have suicidal thoughts and behaviours do not want to die, they want to escape or relieve unmanageable thoughts and feelings.³ Positively, this means that people with suicidal thoughts and behaviours will often respond positively to offers of support.

Learning to safely talk about suicide can be helpful to you and those around you. Many of us feel very uncomfortable at the idea of talking to others about suicide, and this is understandable. It can feel like a challenging, personal or even unsafe topic, but that does not have to be the case.⁴

Safely talking about suicide can lead to life-saving prevention and intervention. Your words and actions can save a life.⁴

“If you are concerned that someone you know may be thinking about suicide, you may feel overwhelmed and not know how to start the conversation. Find out how to talk to someone about suicide so you can support the person you care about.” ⁵

-Suicide Call Back Service
 

Dos and Don’ts When Talking about Suicide

Here are some Dos and Don’ts when talking about suicide from Mental Health First Aid International⁴:

Do:

• Use supportive, empathetic and genuine language.
• Keep the conversation going – ask open ended questions.
• Use active listening without rushing or cutting the person off.
• Be calm and patient with the conversation.
• Focus on the person and their feelings and experiences.
• Summarise or repeat what the person is saying to clarify and understand.
• Respect the person’s boundaries and preferences for how to talk about it.
• Use the word suicide, and correct language such as ‘die by suicide.’

Don’t:

• Dismiss or trivialise the person’s concerns or feelings.
• Argue over whether suicide is right or wrong.
• Doubt whether the person is really suicidal or imply you don’t believe them.
• Jump to solutions, ‘easy fixes’ or minimise the problem.
• Interrupt with opinions, feelings or stories of your own.
• Use guilt, threats or shame e.g. talk about ruining lives or religious implications.
• Lose interest, get frustrated or decide that it’s too hard to continue.
• Test or incite the person e.g. ‘call their bluff’ or tell them to ‘go ahead’.
• Be dismissive, glib or over-simplify e.g. ‘cheer up’, ‘you’ll be fine.’
• Use inflammatory, judging or stigmatising language e.g. ‘commit suicide’, which implies wrong-doing, or refer to past suicide attempts as ‘failures’ or ‘successes.’

Suicide myths:

Myth: Talking about suicide or asking someone if they are suicidal will put the idea in their head.

Fact: This is a very common myth about suicide. In reality, talking about suicide is more likely to reduce the risk of suicide. When someone is struggling with suicidal thoughts, talking about their feelings can help them feel heard and understood, and can help them explore options for getting help.⁶

Myth: Only people with a mental illness are suicidal.

Fact: While mental illness can be a risk factor for suicide, many people who experience suicidal thoughts do not have a mental illness. Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, regardless of age, background, or mental health history.⁶

Myth: I’m a dentist, it’s not within my scope of practice to talk about mental health and suicide.

Fact: Our colleagues and peers are more likely to experience psychological distress than average, and only 50% seek professional help.²  Anyone can undertake Mental Health First Aid training and learn how to have safe discussions about suicide.  

Also – you can call the below support services for advice about how to talk to someone you might be worried about.

Myth: There is no one I can talk to about my distressing thoughts and feelings.

Fact: There are a number of options for free and confidential support available 24/7:

• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• ​Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
• ADAVB Member Assistance Program (TELUS Health) – 1300 361 008
• Dental Practitioner Support – 1800 377 700

Visit https://adavb.org/resources/for-dental-professionals/wellbeing for more information, and to register to undertake Mental Health First Aid training.