Does "checking-in" work?

I just read this article:
[http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/promoting-hope-preventing-suicide/201210/checking-in-suicide-prevention]

And I want to answer this question:
"Has checking in made a difference for you? What do you think is the mechanism at work in its effectiveness? Do you think it can contribute to suicide prevention?"


For me "checking-in" has very literally saved my life on many occasions. I think that knowing that someone would take time from their life to call me and see how I am helps me feel like they care. It makes me feel like I am needed and that people would not just notice that I was gone, but they would miss me.


In times of crisis having someone who was expecting me to call every few hours kept me alive. Knowing that if they didn't hear from me then they would know something had happened; Or that I only needed to make it through the next hour to the next call. . .
it kept me alive long enough for the suicidal thoughts to subside.
I absolutely believe that checking-in can have a big contribution to suicide prevention. It has for me.


In the article she mentions the Dean of Students Office at Boston University (BU) calling all the freshman students on campus to "see how they’re doing"
She says that; "On one hand, it’s just a phone call from someone you don’t even know. On the other, it could make a big difference for a student having a difficult time making the adjustment"
I think a call can be just that, "a big difference [when] having a difficult time, or feeling isolated" and feeling that "someone—anyone—cared enough to call."