How to Prevent Youth Suicide

Although a lot is known about youth suicide, there is still much to learn. Everyone, including parents, teachers, friends and peers, coaches and extracurricular activity leaders, and service providers, can play a role in preventing suicide.

Any talk of suicide should be taken seriously. Threats or attempts should be addressed right away by a professional.

Suicidal thoughts

Suicidal thoughts are a common risk factor for suicide in youth. While many people who think about suicide do not attempt it, those who do must be taken seriously. It is important to recognise the warning signs of a possible suicide attempt, including changes in sleeping or eating habits, withdrawal from family and friends, and a preoccupation with death or self-harm. It is also important to remove anything that could be used to commit suicide, such as drugs, alcohol, or razors.

The prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in youth is influenced by environmental, psychological, and biological factors. These risk factors are categorized by their level of evidence, with those that have substantial support from longitudinal studies and multivariate analyses qualifying as strong evidence and those supported by cross-sectional or bivariate associations qualifying as tentative or moderate evidence. Several types of individual treatment, such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), have been shown to decrease the rate of suicidal behaviour in adolescents.

Suicide attempts

A suicide attempt is an extreme act of self-harm that involves trying to kill yourself. It is the most serious form of self-harm and is a very dangerous and life-threatening situation. Youth who attempt suicide need to be evaluated in a hospital or other safe setting. They may need a physical checkup to rule out any life-threatening problems, and then they will receive mental health treatment.

Some young people have a high risk for suicide because of a major psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or anorexia nervosa. Symptoms of these disorders often appear in adolescence. They can also be caused by a significant life event or by a loss of control over an uncontrollable circumstance such as the death of a loved one. Many youths who try to take their own lives seek relief from their distress by using drugs and alcohol. These substances can be temporarily effective, but they can lead to a dangerous addiction.

Self-harming

Many parents worry that when their children harm themselves, it is a sign that they are suicidal. However, self-harm is often impulsive and a symptom of mental health difficulties. It may also be related to other factors such as family, substance misuse and a history of trauma or abuse.

Most cases of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) seen in primary care involve little or no physical injury and can be treated as outpatients. However, a small number of adolescents who are referred to hospital have serious self-harm and/or suicide attempts. They might drink poisons such as agricultural pesticides or natural plants, punch themselves or insert objects into body openings.

People who engage in NSSI are at much higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours than those who do not. They are more likely to be older teenage boys, use violent methods of self-harm and have multiple previous episodes. They are also more likely to be in unstable family situations and to have a history of psychiatric disorders.

Suicide risk factors

Suicide risk factors can include mental health disorders, history of suicide ideation and attempts, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and family or community factors. In general, youths with good problem-solving abilities and strong connections to their families and friends are less likely to harm themselves. They also have more people to turn to for support and advice. Other protective factors can include effective clinical treatment, restricted access to highly lethal means of self-harm and cultural or religious beliefs that discourage suicide.

The 2023 YRBS shows that some of the most significant risk indicators are psychiatric disorders, particularly mood and anxiety disorders. Other risk factors are alcohol and drug use, a history of disciplinary problems at school or other trouble in the community, and being struggling with one’s sexual orientation in an unsupportive environment.

Warning signs to watch out for include a sudden change in sleep patterns or eating habits, a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable, and withdrawing from friends and family. Anyone who threatens suicide should be taken seriously.