Employees still using harmful suicide language, research shows

Two-thirds (66%) of employees are using harmful terms such as ‘committed suicide’. This phrase stems from a time when suicide was illegal. Its use can signal blame, contributing to stigma. Only 10% of employees would know that the best way to save the life of someone thinking of suicide is to ask them directly whether they have a plan to end their life.  

Alongside this, nearly a quarter (23%) of employees are responding to colleagues who share their experience of suicidal thoughts with unhelpful phrases such as ‘please don’t do anything stupid.’ This type of language contributes to the taboo around suicide and undermines the person’s experience. 

Sarah McIntosh, chief executive of MHFA England, the national authority on mental health first aid training said, “Using outdated language in the workplace, and beyond, is fuelling the stigma that’s holding many people back from having lifesaving conversations about suicide. Lots of people still do not view mental health as equal to physical health and that shows in the discriminatory words they use to describe it. Our language is important. It can help us eradicate stigma.” 

Positively, the number of people who believe common myths around suicide has declined in the past year. In 2023, 1 in 3 people incorrectly believed asking if someone has a plan to end their life will put the idea in their head. In 2024, this has reduced to 1 in 5 people. While progress has been made, it’s important everyone understands that asking direct questions about suicide can be lifesaving.  

Workplaces have an important role in normalising and educating people about how to have conversations about suicide. MHFA England is calling on employers to embed suicide awareness, prevention, and support into their mental health and wellbeing strategies. To support this, MHFA England has created a free resource, Five pillars of suicide prevention in the workplace.  

Suicide is preventable through education and intervention. Suicide First Aid training provides people with a greater understanding of suicide, including how to spot the signs of someone who may be thinking about suicide and the confidence to intervene and help create a suicide-safety plan. MHFA England also offer Mental Health First Aid training and consultancy, to help employers tackle suicide prevention and support in the workplace.  

Michelle Stebbings, executive lead at Support After Suicide Partnership said, “MHFA England’s research shows the extent to which people still shy away from having lifesaving conversations about suicide. Often this is a result of common misconceptions around discussing suicide and a lack of confidence in having these conversations in an appropriate way.  

Research shows that 9% of people bereaved by suicide go on to make an attempt themselves. At Support After Suicide our vision is that everyone bereaved by suicide is offered timely and appropriate support. Workplaces can play a vital role in ensuring this happens.” 

Lexie Newlands is Allocation and Planning Lead at Mars Incorporated, working in the Pet Nutrition Strategy and Transformation team. Lexie embarked on her journey into Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in 2022, driven by a desire to help others struggling with mental health challenges after losing a friend to suicide. Mars Incorporated trains 200 MHFAiders a year.  

Lexie said: “I was scrolling social media when I saw some alarming posts from someone at work who was displaying signs of crisis. I messaged them and offered to talk and suggested that they go to A&E if they were worried about their safety. I used my MHFA training to show that I was there to support them and show them where they could get professional help.  In the end, I kept them talking, found out where they were and managed to get the emergency services to them. As I’d completed the MHFA course, I was able to confidently navigate this challenging situation in the best possible way.”