Reducing the risk of youth suicide and improving adaptability

Posted by Jason Norman on April 23rd, 2024

It is a scary time as a parent or guardian when you have a child with mental health issues, or expressing thoughts about suicide. You might be wondering what you can do to help them, whether you should talk to them or not, and how to best ensure they get what they need. In situations like an Emergency Room, some will have a mental health toolkit that can help you get the best help for them. But before it gets to that stage there are things you can do to help them improve their own resilience and lower the risk of suicide.

Increasing or improving adaptability or resilience

When talking about adaptability or resilience in terms of mental health it means helping them learn and develop the ability to deal with and move forwards when facing something they consider to be a crisis. Life throws challenges at everyone and how we handle that is partly about how resilient we are. For a while professionals thought that this was something people were either born with or not, but in fact, it is now acknowledged that this is a trait that can be taught and encouraged to grow. This is an effective part of youth suicide preventionefforts. When in crisis and having thoughts of hurting or killing themselves, they can learn how to manage it and how to use protective factors in their lives. These are things in their own personality or environment that lower the risk of suicide. With help, they can identify or develop those factors and learn how to use them.

What those protective factors are

•      Having more limited access to lethal means teens use to commit suicide - Guns should be locked away as should strong medications, chemicals and such. Knives should be harder to access. Teens are more impulsive when they are having suicidal thoughts, so having to look for something to kill themselves with can be the delay they need to prevent it.
•      Teaching them coping skills - How to calm themselves down when they are angry or upset, learning to do something calming or fun when they are scared or sad. It is important that as well as teaching them these skills they are modelled for them by the adults around them.
•      Making sure they have a network of support and connections - This could be extended family, people in the community, teachers, church and so on. If they are not connected to many right now, help them build a network with family events, activities after school and such. It is an important part of youth suicide prevention.
•      Ensuring they have the mental health care they need - This means looking for professionals who can help them navigate their challenges. They can also help with issues such as anxiety and depression.
•      Work on their self-esteem - Help them take on leadership roles, tell them you are proud of them when they finish a task they have been set, and talk to them about being worthy. Confidence and having good self-esteem is important to help them have a more positive outlook.
•      Make sure they are having a better time at school - This can include working with teachers, principals, students and other staff to ensure it is a more positive place to be. They spend a lot of their time there, so it makes sense to make it a place they feel safe and mostly positive about.
•      Communication with you - It is important they know they can talk to you or sit with you however they are feeling and you can support them not judge them or negate what they are saying. Ask them directly are you suicidal. Be open with them.