Sometimes, people have thoughts or feelings about wanting to hurt themselves to the point of dying. This is a very serious issue, and it's important to understand the words used to talk about it.

• Suicidal ideation: This means a person is having thoughts about wanting to take their own life.
• Suicidal behavior: This means a person is doing things that show they are thinking about or getting ready to end their life.
• Suicide attempt: This is when a person tries to end their life but does not die.
• Suicide: This is when a person intentionally causes their own death.

Why Do Teenagers Attempt Suicide?

Being a teenager can be really tough. It's a time of big changes — in your body, your thoughts and your feelings. Teenagers often feel a lot of stress, confusion and pressure. When these normal feelings are combined with other upsetting things, like parents getting divorced, moving to a new town, losing a friend or having trouble at school, it can feel like too much to handle.

Some teenagers might feel like their problems are too big or too embarrassing to fix. For them, suicide might seem like the only way out. It's a sad fact that many teens have thoughts about suicide at some point. However, when these thoughts don't go away, are combined with a change in behavior or they start to make a plan, the danger of them trying to hurt themselves becomes much higher.

Suicide risk factors vary with age, gender and cultural and social influences and may change over time. Risk factors for suicide frequently occur in combination with each other. The following are some suicide risk factors that may be present:

• One or more diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorders
• Impulsive behaviors
• Undesirable life events or recent losses (i.e., death, parental divorce)
• Family history of mental or substance abuse disorder
• Family history of suicide
• Family violence, including physical sexual or verbal/emotional abuse
• Prior suicide attempt
• Firearm in the home
• Incarceration
• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, including family, peers, in the news or in fiction stories

Many of the warning signs of possible suicidal feelings are also symptoms of depression. Observations of the following behaviors by parents and care givers may be helpful in identifying adolescents who may be at risk of attempting suicide:

• Changes in eating and sleep habits
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Withdrawal from friends and family members
• Acting out behaviors and running away
• Alcohol and drug use
• Neglect of personal appearance
• Unnecessary risk-taking
• Preoccupation with death and dying
• Increased physical complaints frequently associated with emotional distress such as stomach aches, headaches and fatigue
• Loss of interest in school or schoolwork
• Feelings of boredom
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feelings of wanting to die
• Lack of response to praise

Indicates plans or efforts toward plans to commit suicide, including the following:

• Verbalizes "I want to kill myself" or "I'm going to commit suicide"
• Gives verbal hints such as "I won't be a problem much longer" or "If anything happens to me, I want you to know...."
• Gives away favorite possessions or throws away important belongings
• Becomes suddenly cheerful after a period of depression
• May express bizarre thoughts
• Writes one or more suicide notes

Threats of suicide communicate desperation and a cry for help. Always take statements of suicidal feelings, thoughts, behaviors or plans very seriously. Any child or adolescent who expresses thoughts of suicide should be evaluated immediately.

The warning signs of suicidal feelings, thoughts or behaviors may resemble other medical conditions or psychiatric problems. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.

Specific treatment for suicidal feelings and behaviors will be determined by your child's physician based on:

• Your teen's age, overall health and medical history
• Extent of your teen's symptoms
• Seriousness of the attempt
• Your teen's tolerance for specific medications or therapies
• Expectations regarding future suicide risk
• Your opinion or preference

If a teenager tries to hurt themselves, they need medical help right away to make sure their body is okay. After that, they need to talk with a doctor or a therapist. This kind of treatment starts by looking at what was happening in the teen's life in the days before they tried to hurt themselves.

A team of people will work with the teen and their family to figure out the best way to help. Treatment might include:

• Individual therapy: The teen talks one-on-one with a therapist.
• Family therapy: The family talks with a therapist together.
• Hospitalization: Sometimes, a teen might need to stay in a safe place like a hospital for a little while to get help.

Parents are a very important part of the healing process and can support their child a lot.

Prevention of Suicide

The best way to prevent suicide is to notice and get help for mental health or substance abuse problems early on. Programs that have been successful at preventing suicide focus on:

• Finding and treating mental illnesses and substance abuse
• Teaching kids how to handle stress
• Helping kids control aggressive behaviors

Suicide is a serious problem, but it can often be prevented. If you are worried about your child, you should talk to their doctor for more information.