Here are the warning signs of #youth #suicide and advice for how #adults and other #kids can effectively respond

Stephanie Innes

If a #child or #teen is talking about #mentalhealthstruggles, take them seriously, and don't disregard any significant #behavior changes.

It's more common now than in previous generations for #kids to talk about mood disorders such as #depression and #anxiety, and such talk should never be dismissed, said Paula McCall, a #child #psychologist and president of the non-profit Chandler-based Semicolon Society, which provides free #mentalhealtheducation and #suicidepreventionresources and supports.

"It is an opportunity for us to have a conversation with them," said McCall, who is nationally certified as a #school #psychologist. "If they are doing this to get my attention, my thought is great. I want the #teens that I care about to get my attention if they need it."

The conversations #adults have with #kids who share such information need to be non-judgmental, McCall said.

"The conversation needs to be 'Tell me more about that. Help me understand.' And we need to listen rather than trying to change what they are feeling or fix it," she said. "I don't think we should dismiss it, especially if they are communicating it to us."

Some #kids struggling with #mentalhealthissues may be at risk for #suicide. The Semicolon Society identifies the following warning signs:

- Talking about or making plans for #suicide.

- Expressing #hopelessness about the future.

- Displaying severe/overwhelming pain or distress.

- Seeing oneself as a burden to others.

- Reduced feelings of belonging.

- Marked changes in #behavior: social connections, goals, sleep, emotionality and even drastically improved mood. McCall said significant #behavior changes are one of the biggest red flags for #youth #suicide and that #adults should trust their instincts.

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How should #adults respond to signs of #suicide in #children and #teens?

Here are some tips from the Semicolon Society for responding to #suicide warning signs:

- If you are concerned, ask. Too often, we wait for the other person to come to us. If you have concerns it is okay to state them and ask directly about #mentalhealth and #suicide.

- Asking about #suicide will not put the idea in their head. Asking shows the other person that we are willing to have the conversation, and it can actually provide comfort and increased possibility of honest communication.

- Listen without judgment.

- Offer validation for feelings without trying to change their perspective.

- Communicate support with phrases such as "I love you" and "I am here for you."

- Focus on the next steps: "How can I help?" or "Together let's figure out what to do next."

Leaders with the Phoenix-based nonprofit #TeenLifeline, a peer-to-peer hotline, advise creating a safe environment for the #child or #teen: lock up medications, sharp objects and poisonous chemicals, secure all #firearms, and store ammunition separately.

If you suspect a #child is in immediate danger of self-inflicted harm or of acting on #suicidalthoughts, call #911 or take the #child to an #emergencyroom, #TeenLifeline says. If immediate safety is not a concern, call #TeenLifeline or seek a referral to #mentalhealthservices or #counseling.

#Adults tend to want to quickly solve #kids' problems, #TeenLifeline Clinical Director Nikki Kontz said. They may think #kids are being dramatic, unnecessarily turning small problems into larger ones, or they may believe #kids are making bad decisions and try to redirect them, Kontz said.

"While that comes from a good place, it's not helpful and when we were #teens we didn't want to listen to it, either," she said.

If a friend talks about #suicide, here's what #kids can do

#Children, particularly #teenagers, often only reveal struggles to their friends. So what is a #teen to do if their friend expresses thoughts of #suicide?

"That's so hard because they don't want to put their friend in a more uncomfortable situation," McCall said. "For #adults and #teens, it's about being proactive. I encourage #teens to identify who is their safe, trusted #adult for any situation that comes up. It might be a #parent or it might not. It might be a #teacher. It might be a coach."

She said it's important for #kids to listen and not dismiss what their friend is saying. She suggests asking questions like, "How can I help?; How can I be here for you right now?; and What can we do together?"

Focus on one step at a time such as going to a trusted #adult or calling the #TeenLifeline hotline together. McCall emphasized that the person in distress does not have to be the person who calls the #TeenLifeline. It could be a friend, a #parent or other concerned person, she said.

Are there risk factors for #suicide?

In a 2021 health advisory titled "Protecting #Youth #MentalHealth," U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes that #mentalhealth is shaped by many factors "from our genes and brain chemistry to our relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger social forces and policies."

Factors that make #kids living in 2023 vulnerable to #mentalhealthchallenges include aftereffects of the #COVID-19 #pandemic, as well as #socialmedia, climate change, income inequality, #racialinjustice, the opioid epidemic, and #gunviolence.

Risk factors for #suicide mean factors that could make a person more vulnerable to #suicide. Yet many people with multiple risk factors never have any #mentalhealthchallenges, McCall said.

Some of the risk factors she cites include being part of the #LGBTQ+ community and being in a family where #domesticviolence is present. Other factors include crisis events such as a relationship loss, death, divorce, moving, failing in #school, or getting suspended or expelled from #school, McCall said.

When #kids go through crisis events such as a relationship loss it's an opportunity for #adults to help #teens and #children to build resiliency by acknowledging the #trauma and supporting them, McCall said.

Other #suiciderisk factors listed by the American Academy of #Pediatrics include previous #suicideattempts, #mentalhealthconditions such as #depression, #substanceuse, #adversechildhoodexperiences, #bullying, a family history of #suicide, family or peer conflict, easy access to lethal means and systemic #trauma or marginalizing experiences based on socioeconomic factors, #race/#ethnicity or #gender/#sexualidentity.

Create a safety plan

One easy step for people, who struggle with thoughts of #suicide is to fill out a "safety plan" that's part of the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention. The American Academy of #Pediatrics says safety planning is an "evidence-based and effective technique to reduce #suiciderisk."

The Stanley-Brown plan was developed by Gregory Brown, who is director of the Penn Center for the Prevention of #Suicide at the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University psychology professor Barbara Stanley, who died this year at the age of 73, the New York Times reported Jan. 29.

"The researchers often compared the written plans to 'stop, drop and roll' fire-safety training, or to the safety cards distributed on airplanes — a way to provide very simple instructions to help people make sound decisions in the midst of overwhelming emotions," the Times article about Stanley says.

The Stanley-Brown research found that acute #suiciderisk usually increases and then decreases over a short period of time.

Free #mentalhealthresources are available to anyone in Arizona. A statewide #mentalhealthcrisis line is available at 844-534-HOPE (4673). Another resource for 24/7 help is to dial #988. The #988 #SuicideandCrisisLifeline in July replaced the #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline. #Teen Lifeline is for #kids to call and get free, confidential and anonymous help from trained peers at 602-248-8336 (#TEEN) or 800-248-8336 (#TEEN) outside of Maricopa County.
https://standingabovethecrowd.com/2023/04/jamesdonaldson-on-mentalhealth-here-are-the-warning-signs-of-youth-suicide-and-how-to-respond/