If you are depressed or thinking about suicide, call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline), and don't keep a stock of sleeping pills or pesticide at home
- Top value
- Evidence B
- Buys life
- Free
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
Evidence keeps growing that putting deadly means out of reach works: after painkillers were restricted, related suicides fell 43%; at places where people often jumped, adding barriers cut suicides there by 86%. So don't stock sleeping pills or pesticide at home. When you can't see a way out, call 12356 first — it works nationwide in China and is staffed at least 18 hours a day.
- Cost
-
Free. One phone call. Also lock up medicines and keep pesticide out of the house.
- What you get
-
A systematic review of the past 10 years of research found that the evidence for restricting access to lethal means keeps getting stronger. After painkillers were controlled, painkiller-related suicides fell 43%. At sites where people often jumped, barriers cut suicides by 86% (79% to 91%, the plausible range for this figure). School-based cognitive programs lowered suicide attempts by about 55% (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.85). Antidepressants and psychotherapy are an important part of suicide prevention. Since May 1, 2025, dialing 12356 anywhere in China connects to a psychological support hotline, open at least 18 hours a day
- Notes
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Why grade B: most of the evidence on restricting means comes from ecological studies that compare numbers before and after a policy; the hotline itself has no evidence of lowering deaths. Suicidal urges often last only minutes to hours, so moving deadly things one step further away is an intervention in itself. For data on this time scale and on long-term outcomes after an attempt, see §1.32 (tell one person as soon as a suicidal thought comes up). For what is left behind after being saved, see §1.33.
- Evidence grade
- B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.
- Sources
-
- Zalsman G et al. (2016). Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30030-X
- National Health Commission of China (2024). Notice on Applying the "12356" National Unified Psychological Assistance Hotline Number [in Chinese] (Guo Wei Yi Zheng Han [2024] No. 259). https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm
Mentioned in
- When a suicidal thought comes up, tell one person near you first, and hand over those next few dozen minutes
- Don't count on being “saved” as a safety net: after swallowing pesticide or breathing in gas, the emergency room can save a life, but not the lungs or the brain
- Ask someone close to you who seems off, directly, “Have you thought about suicide?” Asking does not make them think about it more
- When your mood is low, start with the best-value things: get moving, get sunlight, sleep on time, talk to someone, and call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline)
- Treat the thought “other people demand perfection from me” as a symptom, not as fact
- If something is weighing on you, you can write down your thoughts and feelings over several days, but don't expect it to cure anything
- Treat thoughts like "take someone down with me" or "die together" as an emergency: leave the scene, hand your car keys and knife to someone else, and call 12356
- If you are bullied, insulted or obstructed at work over a long time, don't just endure it: write it down and keep evidence first, then take the complaint, police or arbitration route that fits
- Before going on to a PhD after your master's, do it only if the job you are aiming at clearly requires one, and count the mental strain before you start
- If a loved one died by suicide, an accident or a homicide, don't try to tough it out; reach out for professional help
- To have someone talk with you, call 12356 (China's national mental-health hotline); minors and teenagers call 12355 (national youth integrated service platform); to see a doctor, register at a psychological clinic
- Have a child aged 12 to 18 screened for depression once, and don't treat the school's psychological assessment as a diagnosis
- Don't scold a child who says they like the same sex, throw them out or send them for “conversion”: how the family reacts is linked to whether they attempt suicide
- Treat the first ten years after a spinal cord injury leaves you disabled as a high-risk period for suicide, and don't write it off as something “cheer up” will fix
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 1, tip 25. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer