Confidential help is available 24/7 through the Veterans Crisis Line. 

Seeking help is a sign of strength.

If you, your shipmate, or a loved one are having trouble navigating stress or experiencing a crisis, help is always available. Seeking help is a sign of strength and a sign of the good judgment and reliability needed to thrive in your Navy career. You can reach out to your local Fleet and Family Support Center, Deployed Resilience Counselor, civilian or military mental health provider, or any of the following free and confidential resources:   

• ​988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE: Connects active duty service members and veterans in crisis with qualified and caring Dept. of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential, toll-free hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Support is available via telephone, mobile text or online.
  • Call 988 then Press 1
  • Text 838255
• MILITARY ONESOURCE: Military OneSource offers free and confidential non-medical counseling via phone and live chat, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They also offer specialty consultations, with services including peer-to-peer support, wounded warrior support, health and wellness coaching, transition assistance and more. Call 800-342-9647 (CONUS). For OCONUS calling options, click here.
• NAVY CHAPLAIN SERVICES: Navy Chaplains and Religious Program Specialists assist Sailors and their families with spiritual fitness, resilience and toughness. 

Risk Factors

Anyone can be at risk for suicide. 
 
Risk factors for suicide are complex but consist of a chain of events leading an individual to feel anguish and hopelessness, with the capacity to be lethal (due in part to impacted judgment and access to means). Risk factors indicate that someone would be more vulnerable to suicide but may not indicate immediate risk (warning signs). 
 
Risk factors identified by annual Navy Cross Disciplinary Case Reviews and the Centers for Disease Control. Suicide: Risk and Protective Factors include: 

• Easy access to lethal means (methods of suicide with especially high fatality rates) 
• Relationship issues (divorce, separation, break-up) 
• Transitions (retirement, PCS, discharge, etc.) 
• Current or pending disciplinary or legal action 
• ​Financial problems 
• Academic, career or personal setbacks 
• Perceived rejection, abandonment or loss of status 
• Physical or psychological health issues (sleep deprivation, medical condition, etc.) 
• Severe or prolonged stress 
• ​History of alcohol and/or substance abuse 
• History of previous suicide attempts 
• Barriers to accessing psychological health treatment 
• Family history of suicide or violence 
• Sexual or physical abuse 
• Traumatic experience 
• ​Death of a close friend or family member 

Protective Factors

Protective Factors are resources and aspects of our lives that promote healthy stress navigation and build resilience. They can be personal, external or environmental. During times of extreme stress or crises, protective factors can counterbalance risks for self-harm. Strengthening protective factors is an ongoing process that takes all hands. 
 
Protective Factors against suicide include:​ 

• Sense of community and belonging 
• Strong connections with family and friends 
• ​Comprehensive wellness including quality sleep, proper nutrition and physical activity/exercise 
• The desire to "take care" of one's health 
• Sense of self-worth 
• Sense of purpose 
• Personal fulfillment 
• ​Contribution or responsibility to others 
• Access to mental and physical health care 
• Finding positive meaning in one's life 
• Optimism 
• Beliefs that support self-preservation 
• ​Problem solving and non-violent conflict resolution skills 
• Sobriety 
• Safe storage of lethal means  

Lethal Means Safety 

During times of increased stress, the risk of suicide is simultaneously heightened. Lethal means safety is the process of ensuring that highly lethal means of suicide are not as easily accessible during these times. Practicing lethal means safety has been proven as an effective way to prevent suicide. Some lethal means include but are not limited to firearms, certain prescription medications and structural hazards. 5 Things You Should Know About Reducing Access to Lethal Means.
 
Firearms
 

• Firearms are the most common method of suicide both in the U.S. and in the military. They accounted for approximately 50% of all suicide deaths in the U.S. and approximately 67% of all suicide deaths in the military in 2023. 
• ​Research shows that when a weapon is less accessible during high-risk periods, the likelihood of an immediate suicide attempt decreases. 
• During times of increased stress, storing personally owned firearms with a gun lock in a secured safe separate from ammunition can decrease suicide risk. 
• Gun locks may be available at your installation. Your command Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) may have additional information. 

Prescription Drugs
 

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (Last Saturdays in April and October) – The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day campaign sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes to prevent medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.  This observation is an excellent reminder for members to organize medicine cabinets and properly dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired medications for your well-being and for the safety of family members.

Check out the resources below for detailed information and tips on how to properly store and dispose of unused medications to help prevent medication misuse.

• Military Health System (MHS) Drug Take Back Program – Visit the Navy Medical Facility or Pharmacy at your installation or command that has a drug take back program to help with properly disposing of unused prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.

• Too Much to Lose Promotional Materials – Check out Too Much to Lose campaign that offers a poster and fact sheets on responsible disposal with detailed information about the risks of keeping unused prescription medication.

• Tips for Safe Storage and Disposal Factsheet – Learn how to safely store medications at home, when and how to safely dispose of prescription medicine, and how to safely dispose of medication at home if there is no drug take back program in your area.

Structural and Environmental Hazards 

• Suicide barriers are an increasingly common means of preventing jumping deaths from bridges and other tall structures. Some common deterrent options include mesh fences, glass panels, spikes, and steel nets.
• ​In some Navy barracks, break-away shower curtain rods are used as a suicide prevention means. The rod's flanges are designed to release the shower curtain rod when excessive weight is applied. 

• For an individual who is actively suicidal, removing or altering environmental hazards in the home can help deter suicide. This may include putting knives, razor blades or other sharp objects out of reach; removing long cords, ropes, or shoestrings; and/or limiting access to fixtures that may be used to assist in strangulation or hanging. 

Reducing access to lethal means saves lives. See below for resources encouraging Sailors to practice lethal means safety. See below for resources encouraging Sailors to practice lethal means safety.​ 

Suicide Related Behavior Response and Postvention Guide

The Suicide Related Behavior Response and Postvention Guide consolidates information from the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) Postvention Toolkit for a Military Suicide Loss, the DSPO Leaders Suicide Prevention Safe Messaging Guide and OPNAVINST 1720.4B, Suicide Prevention Program. It is designed to provide a streamlined reference to suicide crisis response, suicide related behavior response, reintegration, and suicide postvention.

Warning Signs

IS PATH WARM is an acronym created by the American Association of Suicidology to help the public remember the immediate warning signs of suicide: 

If you notice a combination of any of these signs, even if they're subtle changes, here's what you can do: 

Ask - Ask your shipmate directly "are you thinking about killing​ yourself?  Do you have a plan to kill yourself?" 
Care - Tell your shipmate that you're concerned about him or her, without judgment.  They may not show it, but they likely appreciate that someone cared enough to say something. 
Treat - Take your shipmate to get help immediately by seeking a Navy chaplain, medical professional or trusted leader.  Stay with your shipmate until they are directly connected with immediate care.  Call 911 if danger is imminent.  Help is available 24/7 through the

Offer to help your shipmate, store their personally owned firearms outside the home until they are no longer experiencing these suicide warning signs.  Putting time and space between an overwhelmed individual and a loaded weapon dramatically decreases the likelihood that they will die by suicide. 
 
Remember, one small ACT can save a life. 
 

Resources