Psychiatric illnesses that tend to have their onset in adolescence (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) can carry a significant risk of suicide. All youth mental health threats should be taken seriously and not trivialised.
Youth who are suicidal typically give warning signs such as changes in their behavior, appearance, thoughts and feelings. These can include a preoccupation with death and self-destructive activities.
Depression
Depression is a serious mental health condition. It can lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors and can affect all ages and genders. Youth with major psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or anorexia nervosa may have an increased risk of suicide. These conditions can cause hallucinations or delusions such as hearing voices telling them to kill themselves (auditory hallucination).
Some teens might feel trapped and hopeless and have a hard time finding ways to cope with their problems. They might start to use more alcohol or drugs and become less social. They might also give away personal items for no logical reason and change their eating habits.
Parents should take their teen’s depression or suicidal behavior seriously and encourage them to get expert help. This usually involves a checkup to make sure there are no life-threatening issues and then counseling or an inpatient hospital stay for a period of time.
Anxiety
Research indicates that many youth with anxiety disorders have suicidal thoughts. It may be that high levels of anxiety lead to a perception that suicide is the only way to escape these feelings.
A recent study found a strong independent relationship between anxiety and suicidality, even after controlling for depression. Specifically, anxiety symptomatology predicted suicidal ideation and emotion dysregulation and distress intolerance were significant predictors of suicide attempt.
Those who have thoughts of suicide should be taken seriously and referred to a mental health professional right away. Those who know someone with these thoughts should never agree to keep them a secret. In fact, they should encourage the person to seek help. This can be done through peer support, such as a support group.
Psychosis
During adolescence, many young people experience their first episode of psychosis. When left untreated, psychotic symptoms can interfere with relationships, school, work and family life.
People experiencing psychosis are more likely to have a higher suicide risk than the general population. This is especially true if they have been experiencing psychosis for a longer period of time.
If you notice a friend or teen talking about or planning to kill themselves, it is important to take these threats seriously. They should be evaluated by a mental health professional for a diagnosis and treatment. This can include medications that reduce the effects of these symptoms and therapy that focuses on crisis prevention and recovery. A psychiatric hospital stay may also be necessary if they are a danger to themselves or others.
Grossly Agitated Teenagers
Teens who feel overwhelmed and have little coping capacity are particularly at risk. This may be a result of extreme or prolonged stress, the loss of a friend or relative to suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, domestic violence, an accident or an argument with their parents.
When a child or teen shows warning signs, don’t ignore them. It is important to take their suicidal thoughts and behavior seriously, whether it’s a one-time incident or ongoing. Always encourage them to seek expert help. If they don’t know where to turn, there are many toll-free hotlines staffed by people who are trained to help. Call 988 Colorado for free, immediate mental health support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Forgotten Youth
The teen years are a time of major changes, which can be hard to cope with. Often, strong feelings of anger and rage lead to self-destructive behavior such as substance use or suicide attempts.
Children who are exposed to adversity and trauma at home or in school face greater youth suicide risks. Many of these kids come from low-income neighborhoods or have spent time in foster care. Kids who have a family member who commits suicide are also at risk.
Educators, social workers and other professionals should understand the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and experiences and mental illness and suicide risk. They should also look for the signs and signals of youth suicide and take them seriously. These can include: