Child Wellness: Teen suicide
According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults and when it comes to boys versus girls, more girls attempt it but boys are five times more likely to succeed.
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According to reports, a teen who has a friend who has committed suicide is more at risk to commit suicide themselves. Parents need to openly communicate with their children.
"It's really important if your child has suffered a loss who has taken their own life to allow them to mourn and grieve. To be able to go to the wake, to talk to the family, to go to the funeral, first of all it teaches the how to grieve properly and that grieving is a normal healthy part of life," psychotherapist Meghan Lemery said.
Grieving takes time, look for signs your child is struggling.
"The best way a parent can help a child through grieving is to again talk openly about it. One exercise you can do is ask your child to do is to write a love letter to the loved one they lost. Expressing the significant of the relationship how that person impacted their life. This allows your teen to get in touch with their loss, their feelings and mourn the loss," said Lemery.
Teens are more at risk if the child is from an unstable life or has had a relative who committed suicide.
According to the CDC, there is an estimated 13 suicide attempts for each teen suicide death. Four out of five teens suicides gave clear warnings that something was about to happen.
"If you see your teen isolating themselves, spending more time in their room not communicating with you at all. If your teen has gone through a really difficult social situation whether they are having trouble with their friends or their grades are slipping, these are signs you need some support or help," said Lemery.
Whether a teen willfully communicates or not, they need to know you are there.
"You've got to make the time to sit with your teen and really talk about their feelings. Do not be judgmental or critical but listen to them with acceptance and an open mind and an open heart. The biggest thing I hear teens in my office say is that that no one listens to them and that they are alone," Lemery said.