Urgent help: when immediate professional assessment is needed
There are situations in which offering informal support, or waiting for a planned appointment is not enough. Urgent professional assessment may be needed even when there is no known risk of self-harm or suicide.
When should you seek urgent help?
Seek urgent help when:
- the person says they intend to harm themselves or attempt suicide soon
- they have a specific suicide or self-harm plan and access to the means needed to carry it out
- they have already taken steps towards self-harm or a suicide attempt
- they have taken an overdose or sustained a serious injury
- they appear to be experiencing psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, or a marked loss of contact with reality
- they are severely confused or disoriented
- they appear severely dissociated and are unable to reconnect with their surroundings or function safely
- they are unable to care for their basic needs or keep themselves safe
- they are severely intoxicated
- their immediate safety, or the safety of someone else, cannot be maintained
What should you do?
If you are with the person, do not leave them alone, provided it is safe for you to remain.
Where possible, reduce access to available means of harm, but do not do anything that places you or anyone else at risk.
Do not promise to keep information about an immediate danger secret. Involve local emergency services, a medical professional, or another trusted person who can help maintain safety.
Where can you seek urgent help?
In an immediate emergency, contact the emergency services or an appropriate crisis service in the country where you are located. You can also bring the person to an emergency department.
If there is no immediate danger but the person is experiencing severe psychological distress, contact a local crisis support service, primary care provider, or mental health service as soon as possible.
Crisis support services are not a substitute for emergency care when there is immediate danger.
What if the person refuses help?
When there is no immediate danger, try to listen to the person’s concerns, explain why you are worried, and suggest a small next step. This might be contacting a crisis support service, speaking with a primary care provider, or reaching out to someone they trust.
When there is a real and immediate concern about self-harm or suicide, do not wait for the person’s agreement before seeking urgent help. Do not promise secrecy, do not leave the person alone if it is safe to stay, and do not try to manage the situation by yourself.
After the person receives initial help, follow any guidance provided and make sure that further care and support are available. If the concern returns, seek help again according to the level of urgency.
For guidance on recognizing warning signs and speaking with someone who may be thinking about suicide, see “Talking about suicide: how to ask and listen.”