Table 4.

Suicidal thinking warning sign examples

	Expressive	Behavioral
Direct	Writing suicide notes Writing a will Saying “I want to die” Saying “My death is the only way out” Saying “I have no reason to live”	Giving away prized possessions Sudden, unexpected happiness Significant risk taking Researching suicide methods Calling/visiting to say “goodbye”
Indirect	Writings that include death themes Saying “I wish I would never wake up” Saying “You will be better off without me” Saying “Things will never get better” Saying “The pain is unbearable” Art with themes of death	Increased substance use Academic decline Aggression Isolating self from family/friends Refusing help Sudden decline in appearance

Adapted from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (2020)