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    Suicide Prevention

    Clinical Practices, Recovery and Social Supports

    K8 - Why We Didn't Tell You: Learning From Lived Experience of Those With Suicidal Thoughts

    Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    10:30 AM – 11:30 AM ET
    Location: 111AB
    NASW CCB ACCME ANCC APA NY-MHC NADAAC NBCC NY-SW
    After a suicide, survivors often grapple with questions of “Why didn’t they tell me they were thinking about suicide?” This workshop will present results from a survey of suicide attempt survivors regarding their reasons for not telling loved ones, clinicians, and others that they were thinking about a suicide attempt. The workshop’s unique perspective of suicide attempt survivors helps identify existing barriers to seeking help as well as targets for improvement and aims to reduce the stigma of suicide by encouraging frank, open dialogue about reasons people might have for not disclosing suicidal intent.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Participants will articulate several emotional, interpersonal, and practical reasons for reticence among persons contemplating suicide.
    • Participants will be able to summarize findings of recent published research about the nondisclosure of suicidal intent among persons who later attempted or died by suicide.
    • Participants will be able to identify several key strategies to increase the likelihood of help seeking, honesty, and candor among persons contemplating suicide.