What Parents Can Do When Kids Have Suicidal Thoughts

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New research is uncovering warning signs that might indicate whether a child is more likely to act on suicidal thoughts. Here’s what to know.

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What Parents Can Do When Kids Have Suicidal Thoughts
New research is uncovering warning signs that might indicate whether a child is more likely to act on those thoughts.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

What Parents Can Do When Kids Have Suicidal Thoughts

New research is uncovering warning signs that might indicate whether a child is more likely to act on those thoughts

By Andrea Petersen
https://twitter.com/andreaapetersen
Andrea Petersen at [e-mail]
Feb. 3, 2022 12:01 am ET

Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among teens, and cause for alarm among parents. ... Most kids don’t act on those thoughts, scientists say, but researchers are learning to better understand which youngsters are most at risk—and what parents can do to keep them safe.

New research links certain behaviors to an imminent risk of a child’s suicide attempt, including a dramatic increase in the time spent at home and a sharp rise in the use of negative words in texts and social-media posts. ... These findings are important as families, schools and therapists contend with a yearslong rise in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among teens and young adults, a trend that has grown during the pandemic.

In a June 2020 survey, 25.5% of 18-to-24 year-olds said they had seriously considered suicide during the last 30 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mean weekly emergency-department visits for suspected suicide attempts rose 50.6% among 12-to-17-year-old girls in the month ended March 20, 2021, compared with the same period in 2019, according to CDC data. Among boys, those visits increased by 3.7%. ... In 2019, 18.8% of high-school students said they seriously considered attempting suicide, while 15.7% made a suicide plan and 8.9% made an attempt, according to a separate CDC survey. By comparison, 13.8% of high-schoolers reported considering suicide attempts in 2009.

Parents can reduce their teens’ risk of acting on suicidal thoughts, first by asking them openly about their feelings, psychologists say. There are strategies to make it more likely that a young person will answer honestly and guidance on what to do if your child says they are having suicidal thoughts.

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Do you need help? The contact number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

Write to Andrea Petersen at [e-mail]

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Appeared in the February 3, 2022, print edition as 'How Parents Can Guard Kids From Suicide.'