James Donaldson on Mental Health - Rise in US preteen suicide rate alarms mental health experts

Talking with kids Experts say parents, teachers, coaches, clergy — anyone who interacts with kids — shouldn’t fear talking to them about suicide and mental health, especially if they notice withdrawal, sadness or stress.

Jamie Freeny, who was the director of the Center for School Behavioral Health at Mental Health America of Greater Houston until earlier this year, said that more elementary schools have started to ask for suicide prevention training.

“If the elementary schools are asking for it, that lets me know that there’s a reason,” said Freeny, who now works as a mental health consultant.

“It’s very, very sad.” There's this myth that if you talk to kids about suicide, you're going to put the idea in their head.

– Lisa Horowitz, visiting professor of child psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has resources for parents or others who frequently interact with kids, including a toolkit called “ Talk Saves Lives ” that offers guidelines and tips for steering such conversations.

Lisa Horowitz, a visiting professor of child psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and who conducts research for the National Institutes of Health, said many parents tell her they’re afraid to bring the topic up with their kids.

“There’s this myth that if you talk to kids about suicide, you’re going to put the idea in their head,” Horowitz said, adding that research shows talking about it can actually help.

“If you can detect suicide risk early, like in preteens or even even younger, then you can intervene early, and and then you can prevent a lot of psychiatric disorders that occur in adulthood.” Kids may tell their friends and may not necessarily come to their trusted adult first, making proactive conversations important, added Horowitz, who co-authored the study on the annual increase in preteen suicide and has developed screening tools.

“Most parents are surprised by a suicide attempt, and it’s not because they’re a bad parent, and it’s not because they’re not paying attention.

It’s because kids keep these thoughts to themselves,” she said.