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You may also notice that they’ve recently withdrawn from activities with friends or family.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.
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