The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has a slightly different take. “Many years ago, people thought that saying the word ‘suicide’ could make someone suicidal,” Jill Harkavy-Friedman, PhD, senior vice president of research at AFSP, pointed out. “​​That was simplistic, disrespectful, and incorrect. We have learned that the opposite is true. Opening the conversation can bring relief and access to help.”

The available data suggest that SCS might be beneficial. One 2024 study at a large urban hospital system that incorporated an SCS-based risk assessment tool into its emergency department found that emergency department patients diagnosed with SCS and admitted to the hospital with moderate to severe suicidal ideation were about 75 percent less likely to be readmitted to the hospital than patients with the same level of suicidal ideation who did not have SCS.

Unfortunately, Galynker and his team have not yet received funding to support a randomized controlled trial. AFSP’s Harkavy-Friedman suggests that may not be necessary. “Galynker and his team have been studying SCS for many years across many samples, situations, and settings,” she said, noting that data are being collected in a number of different countries such as Israel, Hungary, and Norway. “I am not sure that one large grant is more important than many studies in diverse settings. Validity is accrued.”

Nonetheless, Galynker remains hopeful. He teaches a course at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting on how to identify imminent risk in patients who deny suicidal ideation and for psychiatry departments hoping to spread the concept of SCS and save lives.

Maura Kelly is a journalist who focuses on health, wellness, and healthcare. She is working on a memoir. She has been a Contributing Writer for Harvard Public Health and an op-ed consultant for Peterson Center on Healthcare.