Language matters when you're talking about suicide

Want to talk about suicide? Yep, it's a toughie. So much pain, so much distress tied up in that seven-letter word. But talking about it, and choosing our language thoughtfully, can really help, according to experts at the National Suicide Prevention conference in Hobart.

Committing suicide

Until relatively recently, suicide was considered a sin by some people and was also a crime. In Victoria this changed in 1958, but in many countries around the world suicide remains a crime.

If someone living in Singapore or Malaysia attempts suicide they face a prison term, or a fine.

So the term "commit" still carries criminal and legal connotations, says Jaelea Skehan, director of the national Hunter Institute of Mental Health, who is at the National Suicide Prevention conference in Hobart.

Skehan's preference is always for plain language: died by suicide, ended their life, took their own life. The Americanism "suicided" just sounds odd.


Unsuccessful or failed suicide bid

Please. Vulnerable people have enough to deal with without judgements being made about the supposed success or failure of their attempt to take their own life.

Skehan says it's not unusual to hear distressed people say "I couldn't even manage that" when talking about a suicide attempt, so our language should not make suicide seem like a desirable option.

No suspicious circumstances

This phrase still sometimes gets trotted out as code for suicide in the case of a sudden death, but the media has matured. In 2011 the Australian Press Council wrote new guidelines, saying the general discussion of suicide and in some cases coverage of specific cases may help to improve public understanding. Care may still need to be taken when talking about suicide method or location, however.

The Australian media leads the world in sensitivity around reporting suicide says Skehan.

Other countries are now producing guides and apps for journalists like those created by the Australian media initiative Mindframe, which has language suggestions for mental health and suicide.    

Using suicide out of context

This is a tricky one for journalists. But Skehan says using the term suicide out of context – for example in the phrases "suicide mission" or "political suicide" – misrepresents the issue and makes it harder to engage people on the topic.

"Using the right language is not about being the pc [politically correct] police. It's about ensuring that people who have been affected don't feel further isolated than they already do."


The term "suicide survivor" is broadly used in America and can mean a person who has attempted to take their own life, or the friend or family of someone who has attempted or died by suicide.

In Australia you're more likely to hear someone talking about the term "lived experience of suicide", which covers pretty much everything.

Happy endings

Not what automatically springs to mind, perhaps. But often this week at the National Suicide Prevention conference in Hobart, speakers have reminded us that stories of love, survival and hope are what people who have survived suicide really need.

As Tasmanian speaker Sharon Jones told the audience: "The secrecy and the shame causes the most damage. We need to end the secrecy and stand up tall and proud because somewhere, someone is listening."

For help in a crisis call 000.

Lifeline: 131114

Safesteps Family Violence Response Service: 1800 015 188