Doctor says it's okay to ask someone if they are suicidal

NPR · 1:13

9,282 views · 1,132 likes · Oct 14, 2026

Dr. Paul Nestadt, medical director of the Center for Suicide Prevention at Johns Hopkins, is concerned about the persistence of the myth that asking someone if they are suicidal may plant that idea in their mind.

“People aren’t that malleable, frankly. And the reason that myth worries me is because it means that some folks may not ask their loved ones. They might not open that door,” Dr. Nestadt …

Dr. Paul Nestadt, medical director of the Center for Suicide Prevention at Johns Hopkins, is concerned about the persistence of the myth that asking someone if they are suicidal may plant that idea in their mind.

“People aren’t that malleable, frankly. And the reason that myth worries me is because it means that some folks may not ask their loved ones. They might not open that door,” Dr. Nestadt …

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