Our words have power. And when we’re talking about suicide, that power is especially significant.
In recent years, media outlets and organizations have begun changing the ways they cover this difficult topic, and many of these changes have influenced our society as a whole. One of the most significant shifts has been a move away from using “committed suicide” as this term can imply that the act of suicide is criminal in the same way that other acts that are “committed” (such as theft or murder) are crimes. In its place, phrases like “died by suicide” and “lost his/her life to suicide” avoid communicating moral or legal judgement.
An article in the psychology journal InPsych entitled “Suicide and Language: Why we shouldn’t Use the ‘C’ word” describes the rationale for this change like this:
“Suicide is a cause of death. Do we ever say that someone ‘committed cancer’ or ‘committed heart failure’, even when they may have lived lifestyles that contributed to such diseases (for example, smoking or having a high fat diet)? Even suggesting this sounds ludicrous, and yet every day we see such examples in relation to suicide. So, let us commit to being vigilant and challenge the use of stigmatising language whenever we hear it used in connection with suicide.”
Following this logic, clinical psychologist Sally Spencer-Thomas suggests a helpful tip:
“The litmus test for talking about suicide is to substitute the word ‘cancer’ for the word ‘suicide’ to see if the sentence still makes sense or if it has a negative connotation. We wouldn’t say ‘committed cancer’ or ‘successful cancer.’ We would simply say ‘cancer death’ or ‘died of cancer.’ Thus, when it comes to suicide, we should say ‘suicide death’ or ‘died of suicide.’”
Other simple but powerful changes involve the way we communicate about suicide attempts. Referring to attempts that result in death as “successful” can glamourize suicide by implying that death is a desired outcome, while talking about attempts that do not result in death as “unsuccessful” or “failed” can suggest that a person has failed.
Using terms “suicide death” and “suicide attempt” instead can keep the focus on the facts. The Suicide Prevention Alliance sums it up with “Focus on providing factual and direct language that is judgment-free of the person or the situation.”
By using care when we talk about suicide, we can have a positive impact not only in the lives of those affected by suicide and suicidal ideation but also in our communities as we normalize judgement-free language. By being part of this shift, we can help to fight the stigma that prevents many people from seeking help. And, perhaps even more importantly, by being conscious about the way we talk about suicide, we can respect the dignity of those who have lost their lives and their loved ones, as well as those struggling with suicidal ideation. In this way, our words can be truly life-giving.
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