Suicide
Exercise care and sensitivity when discussing death by suicide .
Do not over-use ‘ suicide ’ in headlines and search terms .
Consider cultural sensitivities . Naming or depicting an image of a deceased person can cause distress or offence in some communities .
Avoid language that presents suicide as a desired outcome or assigns a moral judgement : died by suicide , took their own life
successful suicide , committed suicide
At the bottom of any piece of writing that mentions suicide , include contact details for two crisissupport services . We recommend the following funded programs , which are available 24 hours a day :
• Lifeline : 13 11 14 or lifeline . org . au
• Suicide Call Back Service : 1300 659 467 or suicidecallbackservice . org . au
• Kids Helpline : 1800 55 1800 or kidshelpline . com . au
• MensLine Australia : 1300 78 99 78 or mensline . org . au
Writing Style Guide | Suicide 64 | Back to contents