Suicide Threats and Teens

If any of the symptoms of depression are also accompanied by suicidal talk or behavior, you're going to want to intervene. Fascination with death, dying, or suicide is a common feature of depression in adolescence and should not be taken lightly.

Some of the warning signs of suicide include:

• Seeming depressed; low energy level; loss of interest in things.
• Talking about suicide or discussing suicidal fantasies. Your teen may not discuss these issues with you, but you may get reports from siblings or even friends who are worried.
• Giving away treasured possessions.
• Writing about death in journals. A teen who wants you to know what he is thinking may actually leave a journal out around the house open to significant pages. (If he does, assume that it's supposed to be read.)

Danger Zone

There's a saying: “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.” You want to be there with your teen while the problem is still “temporary.”

• Commenting, “I wish I were dead.”
• Discussing or gathering information on suicide methods.
• Displaying a sudden mood lift following a period of depression without cause. (This may indicate that the teen feels elation and relief over finally deciding to take control of his problem—by committing suicide.)

If you suspect that your teen is contemplating suicide, contact someone about your suspicions right away. Call your teen's doctor, the school psychologist (or your child's counselor), a suicide prevention center, a community mental health center, an emergency room, or a family service agency. Any of these places are prepared to help you or can refer you to the best place to get the help you need.