Teen Suicide

The suicide of a teen is a devastating occurrence for all of their friends and family and often it can have an effect on people who didn’t even know the teen very well such as their peers at school or their teachers. This grief can often be very difficult to manage especially as many of their friends and family may not even fully understand what led up to the suicide. Suicide is mostly rare among children but the changes of it increase a great deal when entering the ages of adolescence and suicide is actually the third-leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. The rates of suicide vary between boys and girls as girls are twice as likely to attempt suicide but usually do so in a manner involving drugs or cutting while boys are less likely to attempt it but die from it four times as often due to the prevalence of their use of more lethal methods such as hanging or firearms.

There are different situations and occurrences in which teens are put at risk for suicide and most of them relate to not having a support network of family and friends that they can turn to for help with their problems and challenges. Others revolve around medical issues such as having a psychological disorder (especially depression or bipolar disorder), alcohol and drug use, a family history of depression or suicide attempts, and various forms of abuse.

There are also some warning signs that you can be aware of that can help prevent a suicide if need be. If a teen is talking about suicide or death, if they’re feeling hopeless or guilty, if they pull away from family or friends and if they have rapid changes in eating or sleeping habits these are all signs of a possible suicide. It’s also important to watch out for any self-destructive behavior, loss of interest in activities or desires that were important before, and any talk of “leaving” or “going away” as these are also signs of impending problems.

If you notice any of these signs or feel like it might become a problem it’s always a good idea to simply be open with your teen and ask them whether or not they’ve been feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts. It can be intimidating for many parents to bring up the topic of suicide with their teen but it can also be necessary to bridge that level of communication with them if you fear they may be at risk for suicide. If you’re unsure of talking with your teen don’t hesitate or hope the problem will go away on it’s own - instead talk to a counselor or a mental health professional or ask them to discuss it with your teen so that you can all get a better idea of what is going on with your teenager and whether or not they are at risk.

If you pay attention and watch for warning signs you’re more likely to be able to get your child the help they need before it’s too late.