, lecturer of Psychiatry in the University of Ioannina Medical School, Greece.
Thoughts to commit suicide should always be taken seriously. There is a risk that the person in question really tries to commit suicide. It is difficult to judge the risk. Hence, one should try to support the person to discuss with a doctor. One can a psychiatrist or speak with the house doctor. In most cases it is possible to find a treatment that can help the person to feel better.
If a person tells you about his/hers thoughts to commit suicide, it can be of help if you listen to what the person says. That can function as "the first help" for the person that is close to commit suicide. It does not matter if you feel unsure of what to say. What is important though is that the person notices that you listen and take the conversation seriously. Since it is difficult to determine how serious the risk for committing suicide is, you should support the person to a doctor. If you are a child and hears about someone's thoughts to commit suicide, you should try to get help from an adult. It can save lives,even though it feels like you are betraying someone's confidence. By immediate danger for somebody's life - call the emergency number (911 in the U.S.A., 112 in most European Countries).