Preventing Suicide in Children: Warning Signs and Parental Roles

The Role and Importance of Parents in PreventionSuicideChildren

Parents play a significant role in raising their children, and an important part of this role is staying alert during their upbringing. As children grow up, it becomes more challenging for parents to understand their thoughts and feelings, so being aware is particularly important.

Each parent should pay close attention not only to their child’s physical growth but also to their psychological well-being. If their children show signs of poor mental health, they need appropriate, judgment-free support and care from their parents. One sign of insufficientmental healthin a child is the inclination towards suicide and discussing it, which should raise concern and awareness in every parent to take necessary actions, as will be discussed in this part of Family Plus.SelMagzWe will discuss necessary actions.

Reasons and Causes of Suicidal Tendenciesin Childrenand Teenagers

In response to the question of when children develop suicidal tendencies, the following points can be mentioned:

1. Mental disorders such asdepressionorbipolar disorder
2. Threats, bullying, or violence from peers
3. A family history of suicide
4. A history of physical or emotional abuse
5. Struggling with gender identity or sexual orientation in an unsupportive family or community
6. Feelings of irritability, distress, and failure
7. Feelings of hopelessness due to depression
8. Online harassment

Warning Signs of Suicide in Children

Typically, children show signs of suicidal thoughts after a stressful period in their lives; stressful events such as problems at school, separation from a close friend, or the death of a loved one, or any major family conflict. The main signs of suicidal tendencies in children may include the following:They may talk about suicide or death in generalThey lose interest in their favorite activities

• They change their eating or sleeping patterns
• They lose interest in school or sports or engage in risky behaviors
• They might also start distributing their valuable possessions to others and withdraw from interactions with their peers.
• What Can Parents Do?
• Some parents feel that children who threaten to kill themselves do so for attention. However, it is important to note that ignoring children at this stage can increase the risk of them harming themselves. As parents, appropriate actions must be taken to help a troubled child, including:

When you see signs of depression or withdrawal, approach them and try to gain their trust. If they trust you, listen to them seriously.

Create conditions where they feel comfortable sharing their problems with you. For instance, a fight with a friend may not seem like a big deal to you as a parent, but it could cause severe distress for your child, so address this issue correctly.

1. When a child talks about suicide, parents should respond with empathy and understanding, redirecting their thoughts elsewhere.
2. If there are signs of a mental health crisis in your child, seek appropriate professional help, such as counseling.
3. Remove all dangerous tools and materials from the home.
4. Yoga and
5. meditation
6. can bring hope to a troubled child’s life.Encourage such children to participate in activities and engage with family and friends.Child Depression
7. Depression is one of the reasons for child suicide.