Suicide has been the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 since 2014, 在犹他州，这是主要原因 10-17岁儿童的死亡率. Losing a child to 自杀 is every parent’s worst nightmare. The best prevention is communication—finding out early that something is wrong, 让你的孩子得到他们需要的大发娱乐.
“不幸的是, children having suicidal thoughts or knowing about 自杀 is more common than you may think,” 克里斯汀·弗朗西斯医学博士他是一名儿童和青少年精神病学家 亨茨曼心理健康研究所. “We have seen children as young as six or seven reporting suicidal thoughts.”
Why It’s Important to Talk About Mental Health and Suicide
Although Francis acknowledges that expressing suicidal thoughts occurs more frequently in children ages 10 and beyond, she underscores the importance of parents being ready to talk to their kids about 心理健康 conditions from an early age. “考虑到大约一半人的一生 精神健康障碍 从十几岁开始, parents need to have a plan for how to talk to their children about 自杀 as soon as it is appropriate.”
“If there isn’t a need to discuss tragic events with your child, 那你就不需要跟他们说了,弗朗西斯说. “如果他们问问题, or if you know your young children are going to hear about a tragic event, then you definitely need to talk to them about it—even if they are younger than eight.”
Talking About Suicide May Be Difficult, But Essential
Talking about 自杀 with your child is important for many reasons, 但最重要的是, 它有助于消除错误信息. Talking about 自杀 doesn’t put ideas in someone’s head or cause 自杀. Rather, it helps create a safe environment where children can ask questions. Don’t avoid the conversation because it is difficult.
“Suicide impacts almost everyone directly or indirectly. 从可靠的人那里听说的, 比如父母或照顾者, will assist your child with the right information and they can speak to others about it accurately.”
小孩子：保持简单
如果一个很小的孩子问起自杀, Francis recommends that you keep your answers short and to the point. She recommends saying something like, “This person had a disease in their brain and it took over.” Talk about it like any other health condition or as if the individual died of a heart attack or cancer, 比如“他们死了，真让人伤心.” Follow the lead of the child and answer their questions with short answers.
7-10岁的小学生：诚实是最好的
Francis recommends that at this age, you can give more detail, but still keep your answers short. Continue to emphasize that the individual died from an illness and that death is sad. It’s critical that the parent follow the child’s lead and answer their questions truthfully while being careful not to provide too much information the child may not be ready for. She recommends saying something like “James had a disease called 抑郁症 他有这个病很多年了. I wish he would have been able to get more help.”
11-14年级：添加细节
By the time a child is in middle school, Francis recommends 与学龄前儿童交谈 关于警告标志.
“Middle schoolers are dealing with a lot of big emotions and likely have heard someone talking about 抑郁症 or 自杀 or they may have personally dealt with a 心理健康 condition,弗朗西斯说. "Ask what they have heard or what they know about 自杀, what feelings they have about it and what they believe to be true about the causes of 自杀.”
Gathering information from your child allows you to correct misinformation and enter the conversation where they are. Parents can explain that when a person dies by 自杀 it is not their fault. “Parents can explain that people with 抑郁症 sometimes die, 这可能是一种非常严重的疾病, and sometimes it is stronger than the treatment.”
Parents need to ask their children if they have ever had thoughts of 自杀 or if any of their friends have. “不要害怕这个问题, you want your child to trust you and feel safe that they can talk to you about this serious topic,她说。.
青少年：继续对话
到孩子上高中的时候, it is likely they know someone with a 心理健康 condition. The conversation about 自杀 needs to continue, 但是在这一点上, they need to know what to do when they or a friend has suicidal thoughts.
“Ask your teen what they will do if they start having suicidal thoughts, or when they are concerned a friend is having suicidal thoughts,弗朗西斯说. "Let them know 抑郁症 and other 心理健康 conditions are not from a person being weak or a lack of willpower, 而是可以治疗的疾病. 确保他们知道这一点 可以得到大发娱乐 他们可以随时来和你聊天.”
It is critical that parents reassure their teenager that having a 心理健康 condition is normal and they should ask for help.
What if I’m Concerned My Child is Thinking About Suicide?
“总的来说, a parent should be concerned if a child’s mood has changed, 如果他们在学校的表现下降了, 如果他们和朋友之间有问题, 或者如果他们食欲不振或睡眠不足. This is when you want to start asking questions,” says Francis.
If your child starts talking about death and saying life is too hard, or if they think people would be better off without them, 或者他们不想再活下去了, 那就是你需要的时候 寻求大发娱乐 立即. “There are professionals who can guide you through what to do in these situations,” Francis says.
预防自杀资源
If you or a loved one is experiencing a 心理健康 危机, call the 988自杀和危机生命线 或下载 SafeUT应用.