The Narrative

Inquiring about lethal means safety and suicide prevention can be such an overwhelming topic to approach. There are so many angles and facets to a complication that reaches out to every corner of our lives; because we are dealing with lives in their totality when we deal with suicide.

Given this complexity, there are three facets that can be applied to any lethal mean, focusing on the ease of access, lethality, and immediacy of completion. These operational definers allow for a comparable understanding of lethal means and safety protocols; understanding how and which means are highest or lowest on these critical scales.

When discussing immediacy of completion, we are referring to how quickly death occurs once a suicidal act has been initiated. This is a critical component of defining the lethality of means because it determines the extent of aid that can be administered prior to ones attempt. Firearms, for example, have the highest lethality rate for this reason alone, as death is almost instantaneous, leaving no time for critical medical intervention prior to ones attempt.

However, immediacy of completion isn’t just about the act itself—it begins in the approach toward an attempt. This prompts us to talk equally about the rapid impulsivity that couples most crisis and suicidality.

It is a common assumption that most suicide attempts are thoughtfully planned in advance, but it has been well established that a large majority of suicide attempts go from thought to action within a very short amount of time, suggesting a level of impulsivity and rapidity that crescendos during a time of extreme distress/crisis.

The Literature

What we end up with is a vicious cycle that is in constant feedback. Suicidality increases impulsivity, yet impulsivity increases suicidality. This makes both defining factors inadvertently build off one another, causing more distress, causing more impulsive behavior, causing more distress.

The Culmination

How then do we prevent something that is so embedded within itself?

Prevention from this vantage point often takes the stance of curbing and precluding access to lethal means. Because the slower and more deterred one is in taking steps toward completion of suicide, the lower of ones overall impulsivity, as well as the more time and opportunity first responders and crisis interventions can intervene, increasing the chances of survival tenfold.

This takes form of gun locks that are intricate and and precise, limiting overall access capacity as well as slowing down the individual who may be trying to remove such devices. Separate storage of ammunition and firearms is also a deterrent, providing more space and time between the individual and their chosen means of a suicide attempt.

Small deterrents and prohibitors may seem trivial presently or annoying to work around day to day, but are vital in keeping individuals safe in times of high impulsivity and suicidality, as such decisions and actions are made at the speed of light, yet leave a trail of darkness if completed.

Local Initiatives and Involvements

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention 2025 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN MESA COUNTY Register Here!

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): September 18-19, November 6-7 This two-day workshop(16 hours) helps participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA): April 11, September 26, October 17, December 5 This eight (8) hour training teaches people how to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (Youth MHFA): April 18, August 29 This Six and half (6.5) hour training for adults who regularly interact with people ages 12-18. It introduces common mental health challenges, typical adolescent development, and plan for how to help in crisis and non-crisis situations

Soul Shop™: October 2 This 90-minute workshop equips faith community leaders and other people of faith to train their congregations to minister to those impacted by suicidal desperation.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call or text 988. The National Suicide Hotline is staffed around the clock with certified members of the American Association of Suicidology. Or the Crisis Text Line, text CO to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform.