Suicide Prevention Resources for Line Leaders

Suicide prevention starts before a service member is in crisis. Line leaders play an important role in promoting psychological health and help-seeking behaviors. The tips below can help you create an environment that promotes connectedness and openness around psychological health challenges. These tips can also help you recognize when a warrior may be struggling and how to encourage them to get care.

Create a Supportive Command Environment

As a line leader, there are several things you can do to create a supportive climate within your command. Start by fostering open communication with colleagues at every level. Frequent discussions about psychological health may help service members feel more comfortable reaching out to leadership and self-referring for professional help. To encourage help-seeking behavior in your command:

  • Break the silence. Remind service members that challenges from military life are common and they are not alone.
  • Share stories of success. Share your story, or stories, of other service members who successfully reached out for support and care during challenging periods.
  • Spread the truth. Provide accurate information and resources to help bust common myths about seeking care, such as impacts to security clearances or military careers.
  • Encourage seeking care early and stay apprised of the resources you can offer your team. Promote help-seeking for any life stressors and psychological health concerns as soon as they arise.
  • Promote mission readiness. Emphasize that reaching out for help benefits the service member, their family, unit, and the mission.

Identifying Those as Risk

Staying engaged with the service members you lead promotes a positive environment and builds stronger bonds. These bonds can help you promptly identify service members who are experiencing challenges and need additional support. Be alert to the following situations that may place service members at increased risk of suicide:

  • Loss of a close friend or unit member
  • Setbacks in military career or personal life
  • Severe, prolonged stress that may feel unmanageable
  • Relationship, financial, or health-related problems
  • Current or pending disciplinary or legal action
  • Major life transition (e.g., permanent change of station, discharge, relationship issues)
  • Previous suicide attempt(s) or self-harm

You may also recognize warning signs of distress that can indicate suicidal thoughts or behaviors, such as:

Indirect Warning Signs 

  • Self-medicating with alcohol or other substances
  • Sudden mood changes
  • Changes in sleep or appetite
  • Decrease in personal hygiene
  • Social withdrawal
  • Mentioning feeling trapped or hopeless

Acute or Direct Warning Signs

  • Talking about suicidal thoughts or thoughts of death
  • Efforts to procure firearms, pills, or other potential means of self-harm
  • Making a plan or showing signs of preparation (like putting affairs in order)

If you see any direct warning signs of suicide, assist the service member in accessing professional care, as any one of these actions warrant an immediate behavioral health assessment.

Take Action

If you notice warning signs in a service member, follow these three steps:

  • ASK if they are thinking about suicide
  • LISTEN to their concerns and remind them they aren’t alone
  • GET HELP if they are in immediate danger or showing acute warning signs of suicide by suggesting that they speak with a trained crisis responder by contacting the Veterans/Military Crisis Line, dialing 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or texting 838255. They can provide guidance to you and/or the person in crisis and help connect you with services. They can also chat online. For OCONUS calling options and online chat accessible from anywhere in the world, visit https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/military-crisis-line/. If they are in immediate danger of suicide, call 911. Keep the service member safe until help arrives.

Always speak up if you notice a service member struggling. By offering support and reminding the service member they are not alone, you can assist them with reaching the help they need.

Additional Resources:

Sources:

  • Bogaers, R., Geuze, E., van Weeghel, J., Leijten, F., van de Mheen, D., Greenberg, N., Rozema, A. D., & Brouwers, E. (2023). Mental health issues and illness and substance use disorder (non-)disclosure to a supervisor: a cross-sectional study on beliefs, attitudes and needs of military personnel. BMJ open, 13(4), e063125. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063125
  • Bogaers, R., Geuze, E., van Weeghel, J., Leijten, F., van de Mheen, D., Rüsch, N., Rozema, A., & Brouwers, E. (2023). Workplace Mental Health Disclosure, Sustainable Employability and Well-Being at Work: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Military Personnel with Mental Illness. Journal of occupational rehabilitation, 33(2), 399–413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-022-10083-2
  • Curley, J. M., Duffy, F. F., Kim, P. Y., Clarke-Walper, K. M., Nugent, K. L., Penix, E. A., Elliman, T. D., Wilk, J. E., & Riviere, L. A. (2021). Methodology of the U.S. Army's Suicide Prevention Leadership Tool Study: The Behavioral Health Readiness and Suicide Risk Reduction Review (R4). Military medicine, 186(3-4), 336–343. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaa503
  • Hammer, L. B., Dimoff, J., Mohr, C. D., & Allen, S. J. (2024). A Framework for Protecting and Promoting Employee Mental Health through Supervisor Supportive Behaviors. Occupational health science, 8(2), 243–268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-023-00171-x
  • Saulnier, K. G., Bagge, C. L., Ganoczy, D., Bahraini, N. H., Jagusch, J., Hosanagar, A., Ilgen, M. A., & Pfeiffer, P. N. (2025). Suicide Risk Evaluations and Suicide in the Veterans Health Administration. JAMA network open, 8(2), e2461559. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.61559
  • ·van Hees, S. G. M., Carlier, B. E., Blonk, R. W. B., & Oomens, S. (2022). Strengthening supervisor support for employees with common mental health problems: developing a workplace intervention using intervention mapping. BMC public health, 22(1), 1146. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13545-7

Updated JULY 2025