Suicide Awareness & Prevention With Kids and TeensFirst, it takes courage to navigate to this blog post, we’re glad you are here. The notion of suicide awareness and prevention with kiddos and teens can be a daunting one, and as such, a vital one to be discussed. As parents and guardians, it can feel scary to think about one’s kid or teen having thoughts about death at such a young age. At CARE, we work with many caregivers to support them in this experience and build helpful ways of navigating with their children and within themselves. We at CARE work with families to intervene as early as possible, as the sooner these dialogues begin the sooner kiddos, teens, and family members get connected to the support they need. These conversations also help to lay a foundation of communication, to cultivate future dialogues that may be even more needed. Discussing suicide with children and adolescents can foster more helpful responses to those thoughts when/if they arise, and ask for help, for themselves or for people close to them. Here are some ways to approach these conversations based on your child’s age: Ages 6-10
Ages 10-14
Ages 14-18
Know that thinking (ideation) about suicide, does not necessarily mean they have or will attempt suicide. Nonetheless, whenever your child talks about thinking of suicide, they should seek support from a professional as soon as possible. When kids start to talking about “life being too hard” or caregivers being “better off with out them,” those are also indicators that therapy would be a helpful place to explore more of what they need. For adolescents, it can be hard to tell the difference between mental health concerns and what is a natural response to their stage of life, to their hormones changing, or to challenges with school, friends, and overall grief from these past two years. Here are a few aspects to look for to distinguish natural responses from responses that may indicate additional mental health support in needed. Commons signs of teenage angst
Common signs of depression in teenagers
Opening communication with your teenager can be so helpful in identifying what support they may need throughout their adolescence. Here are some ways to engage your teen on a regular basis:
Lastly, always check in with you child on other ways they need or want support from you – and you can bring some beginning suggestions, such as check ins during the morning, afternoon and/or evening, not all three; themed check in’s (e.g., emotion as weather, movie, character, etc.); help waking up in the morning (come up with mutual strategies); sending each other funny memes during the day; doing something together, etc. This creates a space where your teen feels they can communicate to you when they are needing something, which is so important as they move through their adolescent years. Make sure they know that additional support, such as therapy, is available and that they can always come and talk to you. FURTHER RESOURCES Dial 988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Suicide Prevention – NAMI Minnesota (namimn.org) Suicide Prevention Collaborative | East Metro Area, Minnesota (suicidepreventioncollaborativemn.org) We’re Here to helpOur wellness experts will be happy to take care of you. You can CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment now or call (612)223-8898. Meet CliniciansWe’re united by our commitment to providing effective, relevant, and innovative mental health support at all stages of your journey. Click Here to find out more about who we are, where we come from, and how we live out CARE’s mission every day. The professionals at CARE are actively collecting and creating resources to help with what you need. We’re Here for You. from https://care-clinics.com/suicide-awareness-prevention-with-kids-and-teens/ from https://careclinics.weebly.com/blog/suicide-awareness-prevention-with-kids-and-teens
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHello its me Lisa Johnson i am 32 years old from Mission, TX. I am professional family therapist and i also deals in adult therapy and children’s therapy. Archives
April 2023
Categories |