Thoughts such as “find a scapegoat” or “die together” must be treated as a medical emergency: leave the scene, hand over car keys and knives to someone else, and call 12356

There is no monetary cost. The difficulty lies in admitting that something is wrong at the moment and in handing over control of dangerous items to another person.

The window between these thoughts and the actual attempt is very short. Within three days of hospital admission, researchers interviewed 82 people who had survived a suicide attempt. Among them, 47.6% stated that the time from the first emergence of the thought to the implementation did not exceed 10 minutes. A 10-year systematic review (a comprehensive synthesis of research over a decade) suggests that evidence for restricting lethal means is steadily increasing. Following the regulation of analgesics, associated suicides decreased by 43%. After protective measures were added to high-risk jumping sites, suicides decreased by 86% (79% to 91%). Keeping a step away from steering wheels, knives, gas valves, and ropes is precisely to wait for these ten minutes to pass. 12356 is the unified national psychological assistance hotline, operating no less than 18 hours per day (China, starting from May 1, 2025).

Deisenhammer EA 等 (2009). The duration of the suicidal process: how much time is left for intervention between consideration and accomplishment of a suicide attempt? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.07m03904；Zalsman G 等 (2016). Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30030-X；国家卫生健康委 (2024). 关于应用「12356」全国统一心理援助热线电话号码的通知（国卫医政函〔2024〕259 号）. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm

This grade is assigned because both pieces of evidence derive from suicide‑research literature and have not been directly tested in contexts involving impulses to harm others. The Deisenhammer study involved only 82 participants at a single hospital. When feeling unwell, avoid driving or taking shifts where you bear responsibility for others’ safety; hand over duties first. For those having thoughts of self‑harm, see Section 1, Item 25 (call 12356 when suicidal). For coping strategies during low mood, see Section 3, Item 18.