There are conversations that are easy to have. We talk about school, work, football, music, friendships, exams, adventures and the plans we have for tomorrow. But there are other conversations that many of us avoid: conversations about loneliness, depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, feeling like a burden, about not knowing how to keep going, and, perhaps most difficult of all, conversations about suicide.

Today, 10 September, is World Suicide Prevention Day. The theme for 2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, with a simple call to action: “Start the Conversation.” The World Health Organization emphasizes that suicide is preventable and that communities can play an important role in creating environments where people can speak, listen and seek help.

Suicide is more complicated than one moment

When a person dies by suicide, those left behind often search desperately for an explanation. But suicide is rarely that simple. Suicidal behaviour can be influenced by social, cultural, biological, psychological and environmental factors. Mental health conditions can be important, but suicide can also occur during periods of overwhelming crisis, particularly when someone feels unable to cope with circumstances such as relationship difficulties, financial problems, chronic pain, illness, loss, violence or isolation.

A person can be successful and struggling. A person can be surrounded by friends and feel lonely. A person can laugh during the day and cry when they are alone. A person can be a leader and still need help. A person can love their family and still experience profound emotional pain.

What can suicidal thinking feel like?

There is no single feeling that defines suicidal thinking. For some people it may involve an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. For others it may feel like exhaustion, emotional numbness, intense guilt or shame, or the belief that they are trapped and cannot find a way forward. A person experiencing suicidal thoughts does not necessarily look visibly distressed. They may still attend school, meetings, activities or Scout events, joke with friends and carry out their responsibilities.

Mental health is health

Mental health deserves the same seriousness we give physical health. Mental wellbeing includes our ability to cope, connect, recover, feel that our lives have meaning, manage difficult emotions and seek help when we need it.

Depression

Depression is much more than simply feeling sad. A person experiencing depression may lose interest in things they previously enjoyed, experience persistent sadness or emptiness, feel exhausted, have difficulty concentrating, experience changes in sleep or appetite, struggle with feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, become hopeless about the future, withdraw from friends and family, or experience thoughts about death or suicide. Depression is treatable, and treatment can involve psychological therapies, medication where clinically appropriate, social support and other forms of professional care.

Anxiety and overwhelming stress

Everyone experiences worry, but anxiety can become overwhelming when fear and worry begin to interfere significantly with daily life. Prolonged stress can also affect the body, contributing to difficulty sleeping, headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and changes in appetite. When these experiences become persistent and severe, professional support may be needed.

Trauma, abuse and violence

Trauma can change the way a person experiences the world. A young person who has experienced violence, abuse, neglect or another traumatic event may struggle with fear, anger, nightmares, intrusive memories, emotional numbness or difficulty trusting others. A Scout organisation must be a place where children and young people are protected, respected and taken seriously. When a young person discloses abuse or serious harm, leaders should listen calmly, take the disclosure seriously, follow safeguarding procedures and connect the young person with appropriate professional and protective services.

Physical illness can affect emotional wellbeing

Mental health does not exist separately from the body. Living with chronic pain or serious illness can affect emotional wellbeing. Physical health difficulties can create frustration, sadness, isolation and hopelessness, which is why emotional support should be part of caring for the whole person.

Substance use and mental health

People sometimes use alcohol or other substances to escape emotional pain. Substance use can create additional problems and may affect judgement, impulse control and relationships. Harmful substance use should be approached with compassion and professional support rather than shame.

Loneliness and isolation

A person can sit in a crowded room and feel invisible. They can have hundreds of online connections and have nobody they feel safe calling. Real belonging means knowing that someone would notice if you were missing, knowing that someone would ask how you are doing and knowing that you can make a mistake without losing your place in the community.

Bullying and humiliation

Bullying can affect confidence, school participation, friendships and mental wellbeing. Cyberbullying can make the situation even more difficult because the experience can follow a young person home. Scouts should actively promote kindness, respect and responsible digital behaviour. Our responsibility to one another does not stop when we leave the Scout meeting. It continues online.

Grief and loss

Loss can take many forms: the death of someone close, the end of a relationship, the loss of a friendship, family separation, serious illness, a failed examination, the loss of a job or the loss of a dream. Young people experience grief too, and their pain should never be dismissed simply because an adult would experience the same situation differently.

Why people sometimes do not ask for help

Asking for help can be frightening. Someone may be embarrassed, fear being judged, believe people will think they are weak, worry about disappointing their parents, or fear becoming a burden. They may have tried to speak before and felt dismissed. They may not know where to go, or they may not have the words to explain what they are feeling. Stigma can make all of this worse.

Start the conversation

Sometimes the most powerful question is also the simplest: “How are you really doing?” If you are genuinely concerned that someone may be thinking about suicide, it is appropriate to ask directly about suicide. Asking does not create suicidal thoughts. It creates an opportunity for someone to tell the truth about what they are experiencing.

You do not need to fix someone

A Scout leader does not need to become a psychologist. A Patrol Leader does not need to become a counsellor. A friend does not need to have a perfect answer. Your job may simply be to notice, listen, stay calm, take someone seriously, and help them reach the appropriate adult or professional. Sometimes the most valuable thing you can say is, “I am glad you told me”, “You don't have to handle this alone”, or “Let's get some help together.”

What should you do if someone tells you they are thinking about suicide?

Take them seriously. Stay calm. Listen. Do not laugh, challenge them to prove that they mean it, tell them that other people have bigger problems, or promise to keep a suicidal crisis secret. Do not leave someone alone if you believe they are in immediate danger. Instead, involve a trusted responsible adult and seek professional help. If the person is in immediate danger, contact emergency services or get them to the nearest appropriate health facility or hospital emergency department.

What does treatment look like?

There is no single cure for suicidal thoughts. They are a serious warning sign that someone needs care, support and assessment. Treatment depends on what is contributing to the person's distress and may include psychotherapy, medication when clinically appropriate, treatment for substance use, care for chronic pain or illness, trauma informed psychological support, crisis intervention and stronger social support. The important message is that people can recover. Mental health conditions can be treated, people can learn new ways of coping, circumstances can change, support can be built and a crisis can pass.

What Scouting can contribute

Scouting is not a mental health service, but Scouting can contribute to prevention in powerful ways. We can create belonging, friendships, confidence, meaningful responsibilities, opportunities for service, resilience, communication skills, problem solving skills and positive experiences in nature and the outdoors. We can create communities where people know that they matter.

The Scout Law in a mental health conversation

Being trustworthy means creating relationships where people can speak honestly. Being loyal means standing beside someone during difficult times. Being helpful means noticing when someone needs assistance. Being friendly means including people who may otherwise feel isolated. Being courteous means treating people's struggles with dignity. Being kind means refusing to make someone's pain a joke. Being brave can mean saying, “I need help”, “I am worried about my friend”, or “Let's speak to someone who can help.”

Leaders need support too

The adults supporting young people need support as well. Scout leaders are volunteers, parents, teachers, professionals and members of their communities. They have their own responsibilities, families, stresses and difficult days. A healthy Scout organisation should encourage leaders to seek help when they need it. Strong leaders are not people who never struggle. Strong leaders understand when they need support.

Building a culture where people speak

Suicide prevention cannot be reduced to one day on the calendar. We should talk about mental health before someone reaches crisis, teach children and young people that emotions are normal, teach them that asking for help is not failure, encourage parents to listen, train youth leaders to recognize warning signs, strengthen safeguarding, make professional services easier to find, challenge harmful stereotypes and build communities where people know they belong.

A message to every Scout

If you are reading this and you are struggling, you do not need to pretend that everything is okay. You do not have to solve your entire life today. You do not have to explain everything perfectly. You are allowed to ask for help. Find someone you trust: a parent, guardian, Scout leader, teacher, counsellor, doctor, health professional or trusted friend. Tell them what is happening. Start with one sentence: “I am not doing well and I need some help.” That is enough to begin.

A message to every Scout leader

You may be the person someone approaches. When they do, remember that you do not have to solve the problem alone. Listen, take them seriously, stay calm, follow safeguarding procedures, involve the appropriate responsible adults, connect them with qualified professionals and seek emergency assistance when necessary. Your role is not to be the treatment. Your role may be to become the bridge between a person in distress and the help they need.

A message to parents

Ask your children how they are doing, and then listen to the answer. Do not immediately correct them, compare their experiences to your own childhood or tell them that their problems are too small to matter. Give them room to talk. Tell them that they can come to you. If they need more help than you can provide, seek professional help. Asking for professional assistance is not a failure as a parent. It is an act of care.

A message to friends

You do not have to be a therapist to be a good friend. You just have to care enough to notice. If your friend starts withdrawing, seems overwhelmed or says something that worries you, check in. Do not dismiss it. Do not turn it into gossip. Do not make their pain entertainment. If you believe they are in danger, involve an adult or professional.

Help is available in Guyana

If you or someone you know is experiencing severe distress or thoughts of suicide, please seek help. Guyana's Ministry of Health Mental Health Unit provides mental health support and counselling services. The 915 Suicide Prevention Helpline is available for emergencies and is toll free. The Mental Health Unit also advises people experiencing an active crisis to contact the nearest health facility or hospital emergency room.

Suicide Prevention Helpline: 915

Mental Health Unit: 225 0804

Mental Health Unit: 223 6604

Changing the narrative

For too long, conversations about suicide have been surrounded by fear, shame and silence. We can do better. We can create communities where people are allowed to say, “I am struggling”, “I am scared”, “I feel alone”, “I don't know what to do” and “I need help”. Instead of judgement, they can hear: “I am listening”, “I believe you”, “You matter” and “Let's get help.”

For Scouts, this should feel familiar. We are taught to look after one another. We are taught to serve. We are taught to be trustworthy, helpful, kind and brave. Today, being brave may mean starting a conversation that feels uncomfortable. It may mean asking a friend how they are really doing. It may mean telling a trusted adult that something is wrong. It may mean asking for professional help. It may mean sitting beside someone who feels alone.

Start the conversation. Because sometimes the first step toward help is simply knowing that someone is willing to listen. Someone can listen. Someone can help. Recovery is possible. Every life matters.