What can parents do if worried that their teens are suicidal?
If children are actively suicidal, they need to be taken to the emergency room. These are times when they make statements about killing themselves and are feeling unsafe in this respect. Learn more about the Warning Signs of Suicide. It is important that parents actively listen to their children and accept how they are feeling without reacting and judging. Showing understanding will enable their children to open up and express their thoughts and feelings. Sometimes teens think about death with no real plan or intention to die. These teens need to be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible, however. If parents are unsure how their children are feeling or of their intentions, then it would be best to call their child’s physician immediately for advice. Parents who have worries of their children being suicidal should also practice means restriction. This means removing from the home or locking up poisons, prescription medications, some over-the-counter medications (i.e., Aspirin and
