A current intention or inability to delay action
Ask what is happening now, whether suicidal thoughts are present and whether the person can remain safe while help is contacted.
When a Teenager May Be at Immediate Suicide Risk
One safe step at a time.
Treat the situation as an emergency when a teenager may act soon, has made preparations, cannot agree to move away from danger, is severely intoxicated or confused, or says they cannot remain safe.
Direct answerSay what is happening.
Say what is happening.
Bring another person in.
Treat the situation as an emergency when a teenager may act soon, has made preparations, cannot agree to move away from danger, is severely intoxicated or confused, or says they cannot remain safe.
Risk is dynamic and no single sign or score predicts what will happen. A sudden calm after intense distress, access to danger, being missing, a recent attempt, severe agitation, psychosis or loss of supervision may increase concern, but absence of these signs is not proof of safety.
A proportionate next step
Stay with the young person, call 999 or go to A&E, and share the clearest facts you have. If urgent but not immediately life-threatening, contact NHS 111, an urgent GP appointment or the young person’s existing mental-health service.
Signals to take seriouslyLook for change.
Look for change.
Ask about safety.
No list or score predicts suicide. These prompts help begin a direct conversation and decide whether urgent services are needed.
Preparations or immediate access to danger
Ask what is happening now, whether suicidal thoughts are present and whether the person can remain safe while help is contacted.
A recent attempt or rapidly escalating self-harm
Ask what is happening now, whether suicidal thoughts are present and whether the person can remain safe while help is contacted.
Severe intoxication, agitation, confusion or psychotic symptoms
Ask what is happening now, whether suicidal thoughts are present and whether the person can remain safe while help is contacted.
What to doUse a short
Use a short
safety sequence.
The aim is not to produce a diagnosis. It is to reduce isolation and reach the right level of help.
Ask directly and listen
Use calm, plain language. Give the person time to answer and reflect back what you heard without debate, guilt or forced optimism.
Clarify immediate safety
Ask whether the person may act, has made preparations or can stay safe. Do not use a risk score or a verbal promise as a substitute for professional assessment.
Create connection and distance from danger
Stay together when safety is uncertain, move towards a safer shared place, involve another trusted person and reduce access to danger without confrontation.
Use the appropriate UK route
Stay with the young person, call 999 or go to A&E, and share the clearest facts you have. If urgent but not immediately life-threatening, contact NHS 111, an urgent GP appointment or the young person’s existing mental-health service.
Important boundarySupport is shared.
Support is shared.
Safety is not a private burden.
Do not transport someone in a way that puts either of you at risk, physically struggle over dangerous items unless required to prevent immediate harm, or delay emergency help while seeking a private service.
Suicidal thoughts require human contact and, where indicated, professional assessment. Never delay NHS or emergency help while waiting for an iMetaWellness response.
Conversation prompts
Four clear questions.
Adapt the language to age, communication needs and the relationship, while keeping the meaning direct.
Are you thinking about suicide?
This names the concern without euphemism and gives the person permission to answer directly.
Do you feel you may act on those thoughts?
A “yes”, uncertainty or inability to answer clearly can require urgent or emergency action.
Can you stay safe while we contact help?
Do not leave someone alone when safety is uncertain. Call 999 or go to A&E for immediate danger.
Who else can help us carry this now?
Identify a trusted person and the relevant NHS, GP, mental-health or emergency route.
Non-crisis supportUrgent route first.
Urgent route first.
Private enquiry afterwards.
Once immediate safety and clinical support are established, use the patient form to ask whether complementary wellbeing support is suitable.