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There are more teen suicides each year than people realize or want to hear. It is the second highest cause of death and millions think of doing it each year. Youth suicide prevention has never been so important. Teens go through a lot, and while some are able to adjust and manage things like the stress and expectations of family and school, bullying, feelings of anxiety and such all along with hormones and growing pains and more, some cannot. Some are also going through more than people might realize or they might have a mental illness like anxiety or depression. Here are two things you should consider to help any teen you think needs help. Listen to them Often when we think we are listening we are not listening as well as we could. You could reach out to different support groups or a suicide prevention charity to help learn how to do this. When teens talk the best thing you can do is to listen, not judge, correct or criticize. When your teen was younger you might have gotten into the habit of half listening as they talk on and on about this friend or that hobby while you get on with cooking, or whatever else needs doing. But you need to listen without interruption and without doing anything else as they talk. You might think as an adult that their feelings of stress can’t compare to what you feel, whether due to financial worries, work concerns and so on. But you cannot belittle their struggles. If they say I have been thinking about killing myself do not say stop thinking like that, or you have nothing to kill yourself over. Ask them why and pay attention to them. Sometimes just listening can help with youth suicide prevention. Look for help from professionals There are a number of places to get help, a suicide prevention charity, resources at schools, and more. But what is a very good idea is to have a professional talk with the teen, whether that is a counsellor, a therapist or so on. They have the training and experience to help and to work with them to manage suicidal thoughts and prevent attempts. It can be hard to get into the system and get support this way when mental health is so underfunded so you may need to be persistent in your efforts and ask for help from others who have been in your situation to see if they have options you have not considered. Conclusion Teen suicide is a fact of life but the numbers could be significantly lowered with better funding and better understanding. As a parent, friend, family member, teacher, coach and so on, you need to look out for signs, know what you need to do if you see them and make sure you listen and that they get professional help as soon as possible. If we worked together as a community we could help a lot more teens.
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