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.

14. 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.

Cost: 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.

In plain terms: The window between the first appearance of such thoughts and any attempt to act on them is very short. Among 82 people who survived a suicide attempt, 47.6% reported that no more than 10 minutes passed from the first thought to taking action. Therefore, the goal is not to “figure things out” intellectually, but to create physical distance between oneself and potential lethal tools — steering wheel, knife, gas valve, rope — and simply endure those ten minutes. After that, call 12356.

Benefit: This brief window between thought and action is well documented. In interviews conducted within three days of admission, 47.6% of those 82 individuals stated that the interval from initial thought to execution was under 10 minutes. A systematic review spanning ten years shows growing evidence that restricting access to lethal means reduces suicide rates. For instance, after tighter controls on painkillers, suicide rates linked to them dropped by 43%. After installing protective barriers at popular suicide sites, rates fell by 86% (ranging from 79% to 91%). Creating that ten‑minute buffer by removing lethal objects is precisely what this advice aims to achieve. 12356 is the national mental health helpline, operating at least 18 hours per day nationwide as of May 1, 2025.

Evidence grade: B

Sources: Deisenhammer EA et al. (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 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 (NHC) (2024). Notice on the application of "12356" national unified psychological assistance hotline number (National Health Medical Administration Letter [2024] No. 259). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm>

Notes: 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.