What Parents Should Know About Youth Suicide

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in teens in the United States and is a larger risk than homicide. However, suicide is often preventable.

If you think your child may be at risk for suicide, call SAFELine at 814-456-SAFE (7233).

What are the Warning Signs?

Seek help as soon as possible for your child if you become aware of:

Extreme mood changes
Sudden appetite or weight changes
Talk about suicide, death, or wishing to "go away and never come back"
Giving away prized personal items to loved ones
Writing a will, planning a funeral, or creating poems, letters or art that is focused on death and/or dying
Self-injury, harm to animals, or fire-setting
Sudden decline in grades, social isolation, or antisocial behavior
Excessive or little-to-no sleep
Your child's desire to be with someone who is deceased
Unexplained physical complaints

Keep all firearms locked up, with ammunition locked in a separate place.
Monitor your child for signs of substance use and abuse
If your child takes prescription medicine, ensure they take them correctly and keep all treatment appointments. Discuss any problems with your provider. Don’t stop giving the medicine to your child without consulting with the provider.
Insist your child spends a significant amount of time outside of their room every day.
If you are concerned your child may be self-injuring, remove objects that can be used for this from their room.
Attend to physical complaints and seek out health care when needed.
Get involved with your child’s school and find out if there are concerns.
Ask lots of questions. Find out who your child eats with and visits. Know what they do with their spare time.
Model healthy coping skills like reading, exercising, and talking things out.
Have the courage to set limits. It’s OK to say no to any activity you feel puts your child at risk.
Seek professional support if your child is exposed to trauma (like a friend's suicide, a sudden death of a loved one, or abuse).
Find out what you can do to monitor texting, social media activity, and internet searches.