The teen years are a time of major changes, both physical and emotional. They can also be a time of tremendous pressure and anxiety.
Some teens are at greater risk for suicide than others. These include those who identify as LGBTQ, youth in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems and young people in the military.
Preventing Suicide
There are many ways to prevent youth suicide. A healthy environment, social connections and support from family and community can help protect against suicidal behaviors even when risk factors are present.
Schools, where many youth spend a significant portion of their time, are a natural setting for suicide prevention efforts. School mental health staff, trained and able to recognize the warning signs of suicide, can assess risk, warn/inform parents, make referrals, provide recommendations and access to crisis resources for students at risk.
Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide; expressing hopelessness, worthlessness, or feelings of being trapped; acting recklessly or taking more risks; hallucination (hearing voices or seeing things that are not there); delusional thinking; and self-injury can be warning signs of suicidal behavior. All of these behaviors should be taken seriously and professional intervention arranged right away.
Anyone who has had a suicide attempt should have a complete physical to rule out life-threatening problems, and then receive a thorough mental health evaluation that includes therapy and a hospitalization if needed.
Identifying Suicide Risks
Young people may have thoughts of wanting to die (suicidal ideation) or behaviors aimed at causing their own death (suicide attempts). These feelings can lead to depression, drug or alcohol use, spending time on social media and other harmful activities. These behaviors often lead to impulsive and aggressive, self-destructive behavior, which puts them at higher risk for suicide.
Suicide risks can be increased by a number of factors, including a history of mental illness or trauma, adverse childhood experiences, relationship problems, bullying and easy access to lethal means. Suicide attempts are often preceded by self-injury, such as cutting or burning oneself, but self-injury is not always a precursor to suicide.
Health care professionals can screen for and further assess youth and young adults who have suicidal ideation or behavior, including counseling on safe firearm and medication storage. Primary care medical homes, EDs and hospitals can also provide prevention measures and referrals for mental health care.
Talking to Your Child About Suicide
When it comes to teen suicide, communication is key. It’s important to talk to kids about suicide and be able to answer their questions without being cryptic or using euphemisms. It’s also helpful to dispel misinformation, such as the idea that people who kill themselves are selfish or weak.
Young children may experience a range of emotions, including sadness, confusion, and fear, when they first learn about suicide. They may also feel angry and want to blame others. It’s important to validate their feelings and explain that they are normal.
It’s best to have these conversations when your child is not in a crisis. You can practice ahead of time, by role-playing difficult situations or going through age-appropriate scenarios with your child. You can also talk to your local therapist, who will have expertise in talking to kids about suicide. They may even be able to recommend resources in your community. You can also get help from Parentline in your State or Territory.
Getting Help
Getting help for youth suicide is an important responsibility for school staff. School counselors and mental health professionals can assess the suicide risk and warn/inform parents, provide recommendations and referrals to community services, and offer ongoing counseling and support at school.
In addition, school staff should ensure that all students who are at risk of harming themselves or making a suicide attempt are under constant supervision. This will typically require closing all classrooms and hallways while the suicidal student is being supervised by a member of school mental health staff.
Many resources for students exist to promote awareness of suicide prevention, including the Lifelines Prevention manualized curriculum with lesson plans for teachers and a peer-led program called Sources of Strength that has been shown to improve protective factors among a high school population. Other valuable resources for youth are the You Matter website that tells kids that everyone needs help at some time, and the Umatter website that encourages teens to talk to a friend who might be having thoughts of suicide.