Many people are reluctant to talk about suicide, fearing that being open about it will make more people — especially adolescents — see it as a viable way out of whatever distress they're feeling. But evidence shows the opposite: Asking a child we are worried about if she has thoughts of killing herself can actually help prevent her from going through with it.
Today is National Suicide Prevention Day, and we join many other groups in sharing information about ways we can fight the sharp increase we're seeing in adolescent suicides. We explore warning signs that a child might be feeling suicidal, ways to lower the risk of a suicide attempt, and how to help kids cope with the suicide of a classmate, as well as their own painful feelings.
