Ambivalence – Conflicting feelings or thoughts; uncertainty or indecisiveness as to what course to follow.
Bereavement – Global term encompassing both the feelings of grief and the process of mourning in reaction to a death.
Bipolar Disorder – A mood disorder characterized by manic episodes and major depressive episodes.
Community Referral – A recommendation to obtain additional services to be provided by hospitals, mental health agencies, organizations, consultants or mental health professionals in the local area.
Conduct Disorder – A repetitive and persistent behavior pattern during which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms or rules are ignored and often violated. A diagnosis of conduct disorder is likely if the behaviors continue for a period of six months or longer.
Continuum – A whole characterized as a collection, sequence or progression of elements varying by degrees.
Copycat Behavior or “Contagion” – A process by which exposure to suicidal behavior of other person(s) influences another to attempt or complete suicide. This behavior may imitate or mimic another suicide by method, timing (such as on an anniversary of another suicide) or in other ways. Numerous studies have shown an increase in suicides, particularly among youth, following prominent or repetitive media coverage of a suicide that gives specific details of the suicide, such as giving a detailed description of the methods used.
Crisis Intervention – The type of response to an individual who is at moderate or high risk for suicide. Intervention includes the response and medical or psychiatric emergency services for the individual.
Crisis Team – A group of individuals trained and assembled for the purpose of responding to the needs of others during and after a crisis event/situation.
Debriefing – A facilitated session to provide staff intervening in a crisis with an opportunity to discuss and process crisis-related events. The purpose of debriefing is to provide support, recognition and information.
Gatekeeper – Individuals who are routinely in direct contact with a specific target audience and who are trained in basic suicide prevention steps.
Lethal Means of Suicide – The most dangerous methods of suicide, such as the use of firearms, cutting tools or medications.
Lethality – The degree of danger that a person will probably kill himself or herself.
Lethal Means Restriction – The interruption of or prevention of access to deadly methods of suicide. Removing lethal means is a means restriction.
Mandatory Reporting – Many, not all, people who work with children and families are required by law to make reports of suspected child abuse and neglect to the Department of Human Services.
Murder-Suicide – When one person murders one or more persons and then takes his or her own life by suicide.
Postvention – A sequence of planned support and interventions carried out with survivors in the aftermath of a suicide.
Prevention – A coordinated and comprehensive set of specific interventions strategically linked to target populations at risk for the development of specific disorders and dysfunction.
Protective Factors – The positive conditions and personal and social resources that promote resiliency, protect and buffer the individual, and reduce the potential for high-risk behaviors including suicide.
Re-entry – The process of returning to the school environment following an extended period of absence.
Risk Factors – Stressful events, situations or conditions that may increase a person’s likelihood of attempting or completing suicide.
Stigma – Stigma is commonly defined as the use of stereotypes and labels when defining someone. Stigmatization of people with mental disorders is manifested by bias, distrust, stereotyping, fear, embarrassment, anger or avoidance. Stigma leads the public to avoid people with mental disorders. It reduces access to resources and leads to low self-esteem, isolation and hopelessness.
Suicide – Death from injury, poisoning or suffocation where there is evidence (either explicit or implicit) that the injury was self-inflicted and the decedent intended to kill him/herself. (Note: The term “completed suicide” can be used interchangeably with the term “suicide.” Never use the term “successful” suicide. Suicide completion is not a success.)
Suicide Attempt – Any fatal or nonfatal intentional self-inflicted injury.
Suicidal Behavior – Threats of self-injury, gestures, attempts and completions.
Suicide by Cop – “Victim-precipitated” suicide is also referred as “suicide by cop.”
Suicide Clusters – A series of consecutive suicides in the same geographic area, among a demographically similar group of people.
Suicidal Ideation – The clinical term to describe thoughts about completing suicide.
Suicide Pact – An agreement to complete suicide by two or more people.
Suicide Threat – A verbal statement indicating that suicide is being considered by a person at risk.
Suicide Survivor – An person experiencing the traumatic effects of losing a loved one to suicide.