Suicide prevention — Helping your child cope with difficult emotions
September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. In Canada, suicide is the second leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 15 to 24. Thoughts of suicide often emerge when a child or teen feels overwhelmed by difficult emotions and can no longer endure them. Learn about how to reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm by helping your child with difficult emotions with the below information from AboutKidsHealth.
Remind children and teens that all emotions are normal
You can help your child or teen come to terms with difficult emotions by reminding them that emotions such as sadness, anger, anxiety, depression and shame are just as valid and important as joy, excitement and happiness.
Find times to talk when neither you nor your child feels rushed
When you sit down and talk with your child, neither of you should feel rushed or pressured. This will allow you to talk to your child in a calm and supportive manner. It can be helpful to let them know that you are there for them and ask what you can do to help them. For example, they may want to spend more time talking with you or may want to talk to a health-care professional or counsellor instead.
What to do if you have noticed some possible warning signs of suicidal thoughts
If you have noticed warning signs of suicidal thoughts, ask your child about them directly. This tells them that it is ok to talk with you about their emotions. See Suicide risk: Signs and symptoms to learn the warning signs of suicidal thoughts.
It may be helpful to talk to a doctor or other mental health professional if you are concerned your child is having trouble with their emotions or if other people in your child’s life notice that stress is interfering with your child’s schoolwork, friendships or involvement in activities. For information about how to protect your child if they have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please see Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child.
To learn about how children express their emotions and read more about how to talk to your child about their emotions and any suicidal thoughts, please see Suicide and self-harm: Helping your child understand difficult emotions.
AboutKidsHealth is SickKids’ health-education website and features more than 3,500 articles on a range of health topics. For more information on mental health and other health topics, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
