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Suicide ideation or thoughts about suicide. This refers to thoughts about wanting to be dead or about killing oneself. Use: “a person with suicide ideation” rather than “suicide ideator.”

• Suicide attempt. This refers to potentially self-injurious behavior associated with some level of intent to die as a result of the act. Sometimes patients may be unclear about their level of intent to die. If a patient is unclear about intent, or if the injury is clearly not lethal but the patient believes it could have been lethal, a behavior is still labeled as a suicide attempt.

• Self-injurious behavior with intent to die that results in death. This can be referred to as “death by suicide.”

• Non-suicidal self-injury. Deliberate, non-accidental, injury to body tissue without suicidal intent. This may include cutting or burning.

Do not use words or phrases that are pejorative, have vague unclear meaning, are euphemisms, or imply in some way that suicide is desirable. Do not ask questions that imply a “right” answer.

• Avoid:

  • Successful suicide
  • Successful attempt
  • Failed attempt
  • Committed suicide
  • Nonfatal suicide
  • Suicidality
  • Parasuicide
  • Suicide gesture
  • Suicide threat
  • Manipulative act
  • “Passive” ideation
  • Cutting, cutter, or mutilator

• Avoid:

  • “Patient denies risk,” and “Patient contracts for safety.”

• Avoid asking:

  • “Are you safe?”
  • “You’re not suicidal, right?”