Suicide Prevention Toolkits

What is it  

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), in collaboration with the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, and the Public Health Agency of Canada has developed two toolkits to support people who have been impacted by suicide. One toolkit is tailored for people who have attempted suicide, and the other is focused on resources for people who have lost someone to suicide. The MHCC wishes to thank the Advisory Committee comprised of people with lived experience related to suicide for their assistance in making these toolkits possible.

In the summer of 2017, the MHCC conducted an online survey to elicit feedback from people who have been affected by suicide. With over a thousand responses, the survey helped gain a better understanding of what topics, content areas, resources, and information were important to include in the toolkits.

Language

Many respondents indicated a preference for “people-first” language as opposed to “survivorship language”. For this reason, “people-first” language is used in the toolkit. That said, many of the resources linked from the toolkits use “survivorship” language.

Please note that the toolkits are not intended to replace a conversation and are not designed to be an exhaustive list of the wide variety of resources available across Canada for support. If you or someone you know is experiencing distressing thoughts or thoughts of suicide, please contact your local distress centre or Kids Help Phone.