“Creating Hope Through Action”: Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Children
Suicidal thoughts and ideation are always serious problems. If you or your child are struggling with suicide, reach out for help right away by calling a suicide hotline or reaching out to a mental health provider.
Suicide is a tough topic. It’s even tougher when we’re talking about suicide in childhood.
However, it’s an important one to understand because prevention means that precious, young lives are saved.
So, what are the signs of suicidal thoughts or behaviors in children? How can you help a child who is thinking about suicide? Let’s dig into it.
Suicidal thoughts and ideation are always serious problems. If you or your child are struggling with suicide, reach out for help right away by calling a suicide hotline or reaching out to a mental health provider.
Suicide is a tough topic. It’s even tougher when we’re talking about suicide in childhood.
However, it’s an important one to understand because prevention means that precious, young lives are saved.
So, what are the signs of suicidal thoughts or behaviors in children? How can you help a child who is thinking about suicide? Let’s dig into it.
Prevalence of Suicide in Children
Unfortunately, suicide among children is far more common than people often think.
While it’s difficult to know exactly how often suicide happens in every country, worldwide, it is estimated for 15- to 19-year-olds, suicide comes in as the 4th leading cause of death.(3)
The World Health Organization estimates that 700,000 people worldwide commit suicide every year.(4) About 11.5% of those are committed by individuals 24 or younger.(5)
Suicide prevalence and information does vary from country to country. One survey in Great Britain found that by the age of 17, 7% of children had attempted suicide.(8)
In the United States, the Center for Disease Control has reported that suicide is the eighth leading cause of death among five- to eleven-year-olds.(1) Even worse, suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds.(2)
Indicators of Suicidal Thoughts or Ideation
So, how can we be on the lookout for symptoms of suicidal thoughts or ideation?
Being attuned to your child’s mental health and mood is the best way to prevent suicide. If you are aware of what’s going on with your child, you will be much more likely to notice when something is off.
Some signs that you can be on the lookout for include:
Feelings of persuasive sadness or anger (2)
Problems with attention and hyperactivity
Increased stress or pressure to succeed
Feelings of self-doubt
Changes in sleeping or eating habits
Physical symptoms like stomach aches or headaches
Children may make comments like, “I wish I was dead,” or “Soon, I won’t be a problem for you.” They may exhibit an unusual interest in death or dying, asking you questions or seeking out books or media to view on the topic.
You may also notice that they’ve recently withdrawn from activities with friends or family. They might have stopped doing things that they enjoy.
Often, children will also have problems at school before a suicide attempt. This could be simple disciplinary problems or issues with friends. It could also be more extreme like recently being suspended or expelled.
Risk Factors
While everyone should remain vigilant for suicidal inclinations in any child, there are some risk factors that make a child more likely to experience suicidal thoughts.
First and foremost, suicide is a sign of poor mental health. Any child that is struggling with a mental health disorder like depression or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is more likely to attempt suicide.(1)
Other risk factors include:
Being male (6)
Traumatic events like abuse or neglect
Parental divorce or custody disputes
Parental substance abuse
Family history of suicide
School problems like expulsion or changing schools
History of suicidal thoughts or behavior
Prior psychiatric hospitalization
Any suicide attempt deserves a full intervention and treatment. A recent study showed that young children who attempt suicide are six times more likely to attempt suicide again in their adolescent years. They need proper help to get on the right path.(7)
How to Help
Starting a conversation about how your child is feeling is a great first step. Ask questions like, “How are you feeling today? You seem a bit sad.” Try not to put thoughts in their head but make them feel comfortable enough to tell you how they’re really feeling. Be sure to tell them that you care about them deeply.
Seek out professional help when traumatic situations happen or you notice your child is struggling. There are family-based interventions and trauma-informed approaches that can help everyone in your family process traumatic events better. Remember, while it’s never too late to seek out help, early intervention is almost always easier and more successful than later intervention.
Take any suicidal statement seriously. While it can be easy at times to write off what children say as a vivid imagination or that they don’t know what they’re talking about, suicide is one topic that never falls into either of those categories. If you ever hear a child make suicidal statements, seek help for them immediately.
World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10th
Every year the International Association for Suicide Prevention hosts World Suicide Prevention Day. This year, events will run on September 10th.
There are many organizations and groups worldwide that will host walks, speeches, and other events to help spread awareness about suicide prevention.
If you are looking for more resources to deepen your knowledge about suicide prevention, this event can be a great resource. You can also look up what events may be happening near you by visiting their website here.
Creating Hope Through Action
The theme picked this year is an indicative of the changes that children today needed. Suicide rates among all people, even the youngest populations, are on the rise. We need change.
Events like these let those that are struggling with suicidal thoughts know that we care about them, that there is hope for tomorrow. Every action that you take and every word that you speak about suicide prevention gives hope to someone who is desperately looking for someone to help them.
“By encouraging understanding, reaching in and sharing experiences, we want to give people the confidence to take action. To prevent suicide requires us to become a beacon of light to those in pain.
You can be the light.”
You can be light and hope to a child struggling with suicide by reaching out, checking on them, and getting them the help that they so desperately need.
We’re in this together. Together we can make changes to our mental illness services, approaches to trauma, and general mental health practices to positively impact suicide rates.
It’s possible. We can change the world one child at a time. Let’s go create hope through action.
For more tips and insight on child mental health, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter or check out my podcast Genius Little Minds.
References
PTSD Awareness: How to Help a Child Through Trauma
We often think of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a mental illness that only soldiers suffer from. In fact, it has been referred to in the past as Shell Shock or Combat Fatigue.(1)
While PTSD is common in those individuals who have seen and experienced war, unfortunately, any person who has experienced trauma can develop PTSD.
This even includes children.
So what should you be looking for if you suspect that your child or another child in your life has PTSD? And how can you help them? Let’s talk about it.
We often think of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a mental illness that only soldiers suffer from. In fact, it has been referred to in the past as Shell Shock or Combat Fatigue.(1)
While PTSD is common in those individuals who have seen and experienced war, unfortunately, any person who has experienced trauma can develop PTSD.
This even includes children.
So what should you be looking for if you suspect that your child or another child in your life has PTSD? And how can you help them? Let’s talk about it.
Symptoms
Common symptoms of PTSD specifically relating to the trauma include:
Flashbacks to the traumatic event
Intense distress when memories of the traumatic event are triggered
Avoidance of people or places associated with the event
Denial that the trauma happened
Reenacting the event
Those struggling with PTSD also tend to experience other symptoms such as:
Nightmares and sleep disturbances
Ongoing sadness, fear, and anxiety
Increased aggression or violent outbursts
Lack of positive emotions
Inability to show affection
Being hypersensitive to possible threats
Feelings of helplessness or hopelessness
Loss of interest in hobbies and activities previously enjoyed
Symptoms must continue for at least one month before a diagnosis of PTSD will be given. PTSD symptoms often appear around 3 months after the traumatic event but can appear months or even years after the event.
It’s essential to understand PTSD across the lifespan and how it can look different in children than it does in adults. Many professionals have worked tirelessly to develop diagnostic criteria for PTSD in children that are developmentally appropriate.(2)(3)
Children with PTSD may have unique symptoms such as having problems at school or regressing to behaviors like thumb-sucking or bedwetting. They also may be overly worried about dying at a young age.(5)
Causes
A variety of traumatic events can cause PTSD. These include:
Sexual, emotional, or physical abuse or neglect
Being a witness to or a victim of a crime
Watching serious illness or death in a loved one
Natural disasters, such as a hurricane or tornado
Serious car accidents
Invasive medical procedures
This list is not exhaustive. Any event that is traumatic can trigger symptoms of PTSD in a person.
It’s important to remember that not every person experiences and processes events in the same way. Two people can experience the exact same event and only one person may emerge with PTSD. This is totally normal and does not mean that there is anything wrong with that person. They simply need more support to work through their trauma.
Risk Factors
Some children are more likely to experience PTSD than others. Genetics play a role, along with a child’s temperament. A more anxious or nervous child may be more likely to develop symptoms of PTSD.
A history of personal mental illness or having many family members with mental illness can also make a child predisposed to developing PTSD
Treatments
Psychotherapy
Many types of psychotherapy may be beneficial to treat PTSD. Using the variety of psychotherapy methods available, a therapist or psychologist will encourage a child to speak, draw, play, or write about the traumatic event.(8) As the mental health professional and patient converse, they examine the patient’s thoughts and feelings to determine the best way to change them for the better.
Many people are hesitant to try psychotherapy but having a non-judgmental, objective person listen to the sufferer can be incredibly healing. Plus, they will also help a person navigate the best way to cope with their symptoms.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is most often the first line of treatment after a diagnosis of PTSD. This type of therapy helps children recognize their thought processes and feelings around the traumatic event. CBT helps a person identify distortions, or inaccuracies, in their thinking that are causing them harm.
Then, a mental health professional will help the child learn how to reframe their thoughts and change their behavior. They learn problem-solving skills and coping techniques to better handle their symptoms when they strike.
If there are other mental health illnesses at play, CBT is a great option.(7) CBT has been proven effective in treating many mental health disorders including anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders, and more.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy is another technique used in CBT that gives sufferers more tools to manage their stress.(9) This method may be useful for children with PTSD to understand what emotions they’re feeling, how their reactions affect their relationships with others, and what behavioral skills can help change those emotions and reactions.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy is another type of psychotherapy that may be useful in treating PTSD. (9) This technique helps a child become more aware of their thoughts and feelings and works towards acceptance of them. Then, the mental health professional will encourage the child to commit to specific changes that will increase their ability to cope with their feelings and adjust better in stressful situations.
Supportive Psychotherapy
Supportive psychotherapy focuses on improving both a sufferer’s symptoms and their self-esteem.(10) The mental health professional is a source of comfort, support, and empathy to the child as they examine their emotional responses and behaviors. Praise, reassurance, and encouragement are used to help the child feel more comfortable with their emotions.
Medication
If a child is not experiencing improvements in their symptoms with therapy, medications may be prescribed as the next option. The use of medications in children should be used sparingly and under the careful supervision of mental health and medical professionals.
PTSD Awareness Month in the US
June marks PTSD Awareness Month in the United States. The goals of this event include raising awareness, understanding PTSD, and getting support. There’s an activity you can complete every day in June or you can join the Virtual Walk, walking 30 minutes every day to raise awareness for PTSD.
To check out more of the resources and events available, visit: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/awareness/index.asp
PTSD affects about 4% of people worldwide.(6) It is dark and scary, but it does not have to be tackled alone.
Children experiencing PTSD need us to come alongside them and support them through this difficult illness. With the right treatment, full recovery is possible.
Check out my podcast, Genius Little Minds, for more information on topics such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can even submit questions you have about your own children at the bottom of this page!
Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on all my latest blogs and podcast episodes.
References
https://www.talkspace.com/mental-health/conditions/articles/history-of-ptsd/
De Young, A.C., Landolt, M.A. PTSD in Children Below the Age of 6 Years. Curr Psychiatry Rep 20, 97 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0966-z
Pate, Kailey Marie, "A Comprehensive Review of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Children" (2020). USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate) https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/honorstheses/263
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral