Toolkit for people who have been impacted by a suicide loss

The Mental Health Commission of Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division (CMHA Alberta) and Centre for Suicide Prevention, the Public Health Agency of Canada, along with an Advisory Committee comprised of people with lived experience related to suicide, have developed toolkits to support people who have been impacted by suicide. This toolkit focuses on resources for people who have lost someone to suicide; a companion toolkit is tailored for people who have been impacted by a suicide attempt.

The content of the toolkits is informed by an online survey we did in the summer of 2017 to gather feedback from people affected by suicide. There were over 1,000 responses, and the feedback helped us develop a better understanding of what topics, content areas, resources, and information were important to include in the toolkits. The toolkits also include resources highlighted in a literature review done by the CMHA Alberta and Centre for Suicide Prevention. Both toolkits were refreshed in 2025 to reflect updated resources. Please note that the toolkits are not an exhaustive list of the wide variety of resources available across Canada for support. If you are not finding the tools and resources that resonate most with you, you may wish to connect with a trained responder by contacting 988