Background Suicide is a statistically rare event, but devastating to those left behind and one
of the worst possible outcomes associated with mental illness. Although a friend, family
member or co-worker may be the first person to notice that a person is highly distressed, few
have the knowledge and skills required to assist. Simple guidelines may help such a person
to encourage a suicidal individual to seek professional help or decide against suicide.
Methods This research was conducted using the Delphi methodology, a method of reaching …

Background Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death globally. Friends and family
are considered best positioned to provide initial assistance if someone is suicidal. Expert
consensus guidelines on how to do this were published in 2008. Re-developing these
guidelines is necessary to ensure they contain the most current recommended helping
actions and remain consistent with the suicide prevention literature. Methods The Delphi
consensus method was used to determine the importance of including helping statements in …