Why would they? Most people are smart enough to know what happens next. You get a "wellness check" at best if someone phones you in, which means a stressful pol

Why would they? Most people are smart enough to know what happens next. You get a "wellness check" at best if someone phones you in, which means a stressful police encounter. On the worse side, you get sectioned, Ativaned and released in 72 hours and after talking with a psych for a few minutes. You have to deal with the traumatic experience of being sectioned itself as well as the fall out of being unavailable for 72 hours which can mean getting fired for no-showing your job, dealing with child custody logistics, &c. Most lay people supporting a friend or family member are simply unequipped to handle the severity of a suicidal case without resorting to institutional intervention. The article's call to action (listening or handing off to specialists) doesn't do anything to disrupt the chain of events that's likely to happen after a suicidal disclosure. Instead, a comprehensive guide to the effect of "What to do if your friend wants to kill themselves" would go so much farther than the advice given.