How to safely post about someone who died by suicide

Losing someone to suicide is a devastating experience. It can feel overwhelming, and navigating grief following a death by suicide doesn’t come with a rule book. For some of us, posting online about the person who passed can be part of that grieving process. Knowing how to safely post is important.

In this article, you will find information on the steps you can take to post safely about suicide bereavement. This information may be relevant to people who wish to create online content for a range of different purposes, such as:

• Announcing or acknowledging the death of a loved one
• Remembering and celebrating the person and their life
• Marking a birthday or death anniversary
• Sharing how you have been impacted by someone’s death

How to safely post about suicide bereavement

There is nothing wrong with not feeling quite sure how to approach posting about sensitive topics, like suicide bereavement, online. Below are some of the steps you can take to avoid unintentionally causing harm when sharing information online.

Avoid speculation

Only post or share what you know to be true. It’s natural to have questions when someone dies by suicide. Trying to make sense of it by coming up with explanations for what happened is often a part of the grieving process. However, it is best to do this privately and offline with trusted people or professionals.

You can share that the person has died, without speculating about how and why they died, or assigning blame. Suicide is often oversimplified when, in reality, it is complicated and does not have a single cause.

Do not include graphic or potentially upsetting details

Avoid posting or sharing content that describes when, how, with whom, or where the person died. People who are dealing with suicidal thoughts themselves may find it upsetting to see information relating to:

• Method or means of death
• Location
• Suicide note details, or final messages from the deceased

Be careful with the language you use, and avoid using language that implies that suicide is noble or brave. You can also use your platform to ask others not to share potentially harmful information about the person’s death.

Think about who else is affected by what you post

Many people can be affected when someone dies by suicide. For this reason, it’s important to talk about your loss in a way that is mindful of others. If you are considering making a post announcing someone’s death, it’s a good idea to consider if you are the right person to share that information. See if their family has already shared an announcement or tribute. Following their lead can help avoid accidentally sharing information they haven’t chosen to make public. If they haven’t posted anything yet, consider getting their permission before sharing anything.

It is important to be mindful of timing when you post about someone dying by suicide. Depending on the timing, posting could lead to people close to the person finding out about the death through social media, or after others who did not know the person that well.

Monitor your comment section

If you create a post about someone who died by suicide, the comments under that post can have a big impact on you and others. People can comment with their condolences or share fond memories they have of the person who has passed. However, sometimes people also ask inappropriate questions, share harmful details or misinformation, or make unhelpful speculations.

For these reasons, it’s important to fully consider whether you should enable comments on your post. If you do allow comments, it is best to monitor and manage the comment section. You can use your platform to correct misinformation, delete harmful content, and encourage empathy by reminding people of the impact their comments may have on others.

Signpost to support

Include links to helplines and local trusted supports for people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or for those navigating grief. It’s a good idea to include supports that are available around the clock because people could see your post at any time of the day or night.

In addition to sharing professional supports, encourage people to check in with one another. Simple reminders can make a difference, like “If you’re finding today hard, please reach out to someone you trust.”

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