
Suicide prevention in young people
If you need IMMEDIATE help, phone your local mental health crisis team on 0800‑757‑678.
These services will also be able to help:
Many things can happen in your life that get you thinking about suicide. Maybe you're:
- feeling low
- facing a stressful event (like exams, a relationship breakup or a big change in your life)
- grieving because someone close to you has died
- feeling overwhelmed by bad things that have happened in the past
- struggling with depression, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder or alcohol or drug abuse
- feeling unsupported and like no one understands what you're going through.
You may think that no one cares about you, that you don't belong and that things are hopeless. You may feel exhausted and like you just can't think clearly. You might not be able to eat, sleep or enjoy the things you used to enjoy.
It might not feel like it right now, but there are other options. There are people who understand and there are people who can help. Read the next page to find out how to get yourself safe and get help.
On the next page: What can I do if I am thinking about suicide?
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed October 2020.
Sources
The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public
Mental Health Foundation – Suicide prevention, retrieved May 2020.
Youth Beyond Blue – Suicide prevention, retrieved April 2015.
Image and embedded video sources
Ask the question video from Te Rau Ora on YouTube.
Image of a depressed young man from Shutterstock (image ID 744627397). March 2020.
Image of a depressed young woman speaking on the phone from Shutterstock (image ID 1050076229). December 2020.
Page reference: 662048
Review key: HISUI-53221