Suicide Prevention Month: Warning Signs, Support, and Resources in Rhode Island
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to encourage open conversations about mental health, recognize when someone may be struggling, and make it easier for people to find support.
Mental health challenges can affect anyone. Someone may appear to be doing well on the outside while privately dealing with depression, hopelessness, grief, trauma, anxiety, isolation, or other difficult emotions.
Suicide prevention is not only about responding during a crisis. It is also about building connection, recognizing changes in the people around us, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health care, and helping people know that support is available.
In 2026, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) continues to recognize September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, emphasizing prevention, crisis support, treatment, recovery, and stronger community connections.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or is in emotional crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Support is free and confidential. If there is an immediate life-threatening or medical emergency, call 911.
What Is Suicide Prevention Month?
Suicide Prevention Month is observed throughout September in the United States. It provides an opportunity for individuals, families, mental health professionals, schools, organizations, and communities to increase awareness of suicide prevention and encourage people to reach out when they need support.
Awareness matters because stigma, fear, or uncertainty can sometimes make it harder for someone to talk openly about their mental health.
Creating environments where people feel comfortable saying, “I’m struggling,” can make it easier to connect them with appropriate support.
Suicide Prevention Month also reminds us that mental health conversations should not be limited to September. Checking in on the people around us, taking emotional distress seriously, and normalizing mental health care are important throughout the year.
Recognizing Suicide Warning Signs
There is no single behavior that can predict whether someone will attempt suicide. However, certain changes may indicate that a person is experiencing significant emotional distress, particularly when those behaviors are new, increasing, or connected to a painful event, major loss, or life change.
Warning signs may include:
- Talking about wanting to die or feeling that there is no reason to live
- Expressing hopelessness or feeling trapped
- Saying they feel like a burden to others
- Withdrawing from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed
- Significant changes in sleeping habits
- Increased use of alcohol or other substances
- Acting unusually anxious, agitated, or reckless
- Intense anger or emotional distress
- Sudden or extreme mood changes
Not everyone experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, or another mental health concern will have suicidal thoughts. Similarly, one warning sign alone does not necessarily mean that someone is considering suicide.
What matters is paying attention to meaningful changes and taking concerns seriously.
If you are worried about someone, you do not need to wait until you are certain that there is a crisis before reaching out.
How to Support Someone Who May Be Struggling
It can be difficult to know what to say when someone you care about is struggling emotionally. You may worry about saying the wrong thing or feel pressure to solve their problems.
You do not have to have all the answers.
Take What They Say Seriously
If someone tells you that they feel hopeless, overwhelmed, or unsafe, listen.
Avoid dismissing their feelings with statements such as “You’ll be fine,” “Other people have it worse,” or “Just try to think positively.”
Instead, acknowledge that what they are experiencing sounds difficult.
Listen Without Judgment
Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is give someone space to talk.
You do not need to immediately offer advice or find a solution. Listening calmly and without judgment can help someone feel less isolated.
Ask About Their Safety
If you are concerned that someone may be thinking about suicide, it is okay to speak openly about your concern rather than avoiding the topic.
Your goal is not to diagnose them. It is to understand whether they need additional support and help them connect with appropriate resources.
Help Them Connect With Support
Depending on the situation, support may include a trusted family member, friend, healthcare professional, therapist, crisis counselor, or another safe person.
If someone is experiencing suicidal thoughts or significant emotional distress, you can contact 988 with them. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is also available to people who are concerned about someone else and need guidance about how to help.
Don’t Promise to Keep Immediate Safety Concerns Secret
If someone tells you that they intend to hurt themselves, their safety should come first.
The 988 Lifeline advises people not to keep a plan for self-harm secret. Help the person connect with crisis support and other appropriate assistance.
Suicide Prevention Resources in Rhode Island
Knowing where to turn can make it easier to respond when you or someone you care about needs immediate support.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Rhode Islanders experiencing emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or another mental health crisis can call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
988 is available for people experiencing a crisis as well as friends, family members, and others who are concerned about someone.
Support through 988 is free and confidential.
BH Link
Adults in Rhode Island who need behavioral health crisis support can also access BH Link.
The BH Link Triage Center at 975 Waterman Avenue in East Providence is a 24-hour community-based walk-in and drop-off facility. Clinicians help connect people experiencing a behavioral health crisis with immediate stabilization services and appropriate ongoing treatment and recovery resources.
Kids’ Link RI
For children and teens under age 18, Kids’ Link RI provides behavioral health triage and referrals.
Families can call 1-855-543-5465 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when a child or young person needs help accessing mental health services.
Immediate Emergencies
If someone is in immediate physical danger or experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency, call 911.
When Ongoing Mental Health Support May Help
Crisis services and ongoing therapy serve different purposes.
988 and emergency services provide immediate crisis support. Therapy provides an opportunity to work on mental and emotional health over time.
Someone does not need to wait until they are in crisis to talk with a therapist.
People may seek therapy while navigating depression, anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, identity-related stress, burnout, major life transitions, emotional overwhelm, or other concerns affecting their well-being.
At East Coast Mental Wellness, therapists work with clients experiencing concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, identity-related stress, grief, and major life transitions. ECMW offers individual therapy as well as both in-person therapy in Providence and online therapy throughout Rhode Island.
If someone is searching for therapy because they have been experiencing suicidal thoughts, immediate safety should come first. If they are currently in crisis or feel unable to stay safe, contacting 988 or emergency services is more appropriate than waiting for a routine therapy appointment.
Once immediate safety needs have been addressed, ongoing mental health care may become one part of a broader support system.
How Therapy Can Support Mental Wellness Over Time
Therapy provides a space to explore difficult emotions and experiences with the support of a mental health professional.
Depending on a person’s individual circumstances and goals, therapy may help them better understand patterns in their thoughts and emotions, develop coping strategies, process difficult experiences, strengthen communication and relationships, and work toward healthier ways of managing stress.
There is no single type of therapy that is appropriate for everyone.
At East Coast Mental Wellness, care is personalized to each client’s needs and may include approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR therapy, individual therapy, couples counseling, and other therapeutic modalities.
The practice also provides LGBTQ+ affirming therapy and supports clients from a wide range of identities and backgrounds.
Mental Health Support in Providence and Throughout Rhode Island
Reaching out for support can look different for everyone.
For one person, it may mean calling 988 during an overwhelming moment. For another, it may mean telling a trusted friend that things have been difficult. Others may decide that they would benefit from ongoing therapy.
What matters is recognizing that struggling with your mental health does not have to be something you handle entirely by yourself.
East Coast Mental Wellness provides inclusive, compassionate therapy in Providence and online throughout Rhode Island. Services are available for individuals, couples, and groups, with support for concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, LGBTQ+ concerns, identity-related stress, and life transitions. You can also meet the ECMW therapists to learn more about their specialties and availability.
Looking for ongoing mental health support?
East Coast Mental Wellness offers a free 15-minute consultation to help you learn more about available therapy options and determine whether the practice may be a good fit for your needs.
Request a Free Consultation
If you are currently experiencing thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for immediate crisis support. If there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Suicide Prevention Month?
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is observed every September in the United States. SAMHSA and other mental health organizations use the month to promote prevention, crisis support, treatment, recovery, and greater awareness of available mental health resources.
Is September National Suicide Prevention Month?
Yes. September is recognized nationally as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. World Suicide Prevention Day is also observed on September 10.
What are some warning signs that someone may need help?
Possible warning signs can include expressions of hopelessness, feeling trapped or like a burden, withdrawing from others, changes in sleep, increased substance use, agitation, reckless behavior, or significant mood changes. Changes that are new, escalating, or connected to a painful event deserve particular attention.
What should I do if someone tells me they are thinking about suicide?
Take what they tell you seriously and help them connect with support. You can call or text 988 with them or contact 988 yourself for guidance. If there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Where can I find suicide prevention resources in Rhode Island?
Rhode Islanders can call or text 988 for crisis support. Adults may also access BH Link in East Providence, while Kids’ Link RI provides behavioral health triage and referrals for children and youth under 18.