8 Risk Factors For Teen Suicide—And What Parents Can Do To Help

By Alison Kotch
Mom talking to teen

For many parents, the word “suicide” is one spoken in whispers—it is a taboo topic or a subject best swept under the rug. But families today need to be talking about suicide. It’s the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-14. 

Most families think it could never happen to them, but they are wrong. People who commit suicide come from all walks of life. If your teen talks about suicide or has suicidal ideations, take them seriously. 

But not all kids who commit suicide talk about it first. It’s important to know the risk factors and signs before it is too late.

Here are 8 risk factors that put your teen at higher risk of suicide and what you can do to help.

1. A Recent and/or Serious Loss

Any type of significant loss in your child’s life—such as the death of a family member, friend or pet—can be enough to trigger feelings of abandonment and send them into crisis. Similarly, big life changes like divorce, moving from a childhood home or breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can also be triggers that challenge their sense of stability and self-worth.

How parents can help: Don’t minimize your child’s sadness. Instead, ask them about their feelings and reassure them that you’re there to listen, and that their emotions are valid. While most children learn how to identify primary and secondary emotions like anger, sadness, fear, joy, interest, surprise, disgust and shame during childhood, understanding their triggers as a teen—and modeling healthy ways to move through discomfort—can teach them that periods of intense emotion are manageable, and will pass.

2. Depression, Psychiatric Disorders or Trauma

It’s easy for parents to confuse teen depression with moodiness. However, the symptoms of depression include: 

  • Avoiding hanging out with friends and family 
  • Acting sad, angry or irritable for a prolonged period 
  • Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed
  • Performing poorly in school 
  • Skipping meals
  • Changing sleep patterns – either sleeping too much or not at all

Self-injury or self-destructive behavior, or saying they feel worthless or useless, can also be cause for concern: Half of all suicide attempts involve a diagnosed mental health problem

How parents can help: Even if your child doesn’t verbalize or display all of the above symptoms, it’s important to stress the importance of mental health and therapy during their teen years. According to a 2022 JAMA Pediatrics study, the number of children aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with anxiety grew by 29 percent, and those with depression by 27 percent. Recruiting an outside source trained to help kids deal with chronic stress and triggers can give them the tools to manage it. Your pediatrician should be able to recommend therapists who can help your teen. 

3. Family History of Suicide Attempts

In addition to depression, teens with a family history of suicide, or with past suicide attempts themselves, tend to be at greater risk than their peers. Possible causes of an attempt include stress, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, disappointment and loss; warning signs include not talking about or planning for the future.

How parents can help: Put aside any discomfort you have around talking about suicide, and talk with your teen about any depressive tendencies. Contrary to what most parents believe, asking your child specific questions like are they sad or depressed and are they thinking about hurting or killing themselves won’t put suicidal thoughts in their head. It shows that you care. If they have had thoughts of suicide, find a therapist as soon as possible.  

4. Alcohol or Substance Use 

Suicide is the leading cause of death among people who misuse alcohol and drugs. Teens with substance use issues are more susceptible to suicide attempts.  While the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that fewer teens are experimenting with illicit drugs, overdose deaths via fentanyl, cocaine and illicit pills are common.

How parents can help: Explain to your kids that while it seems like alcohol and drugs can provide a temporary escape and numb emotional pain, they actually have the opposite effect. Depressive tendencies can increase, while inhibitions around following through with the suicide attempt might be removed. Suggesting healthier alternatives to impulsive behavior—or enlisting professional help—might reduce triggers to use.

5. Sexual Orientation Struggles

A 2023 survey by the Trevor Project found that 41 percent of LGBTQ+ youth considered attempting suicide, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth.  

How parents can help: It’s critical to accept your child for who they are. It will go a long way towards preventing a suicide attempt. Also, learning about gender identity, race/ethnicity and sexuality with your teen can help you get a sense of the negative mental messages and trauma that they might experience on a daily basis at school via bullying, or in the world via discrimination. Becoming an ally for them—and their community—can be an antidote to anxiety and depression.  

6. Experiencing Bullying—or Being the Bully

Today, bullying is no longer confined to the playground: Teens can experience cyberbullying online. Social networks and messaging apps make it easy for groups of youths to instigate aggressive behavior online—such as sharing hurtful comments, photographs or rumors—anonymously. At school, teen girls are often more at risk of bullying than boys.

How parents can help: Stay in frequent contact with your school’s principal, the coach of your teen’s extracurricular activities and/or teachers and ask about any behavior that might be affecting your kids. Get the school involved. Schools are taking bullying very seriously, and can help support your child. Though online anti bullying legislation exists in most states, documenting behavior before reporting it can lessen the behavior over time. 

7. Access to Lethal Weapons

According to the Children’s Safety Network, firearm suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in children ages 10-19. Research shows that temporarily removing guns from your home—or restricting access to them—is the best way to prevent gun-related deaths. That’s because suicidal kids aren’t likely to try another method if they are unable to find one, giving concerned parents and friends precious intervention time.

How parents can help: If you have a gun at home, safes and locks are essential. Store bullets separately for added firearm safety. You can also look into your state’s laws for storing guns outside of your home

8. Lack of Support, or Stigma, Around Asking for Help

Kids who feel unheard or unvalidated at school or home often won’t ask for help when they’re struggling. And if and when they do, it’s easy for them to feel judged or dismissed because of their age. 

How parents can help: According to the Child Mind Institute, kids who feel loved and supported by their friends, family and community are less likely to consider suicide. Working with your teen to develop a safety plan that includes warning signs, coping strategies, distractions and a list of supportive people to contact can make having a lifesaving conversation feel less daunting. 

National PTA Healthy Minds Programs

By prioritizing young people’s mental health and sharing that they are not alone, we can help them to learn critical life skills for handling stress, adapting and growing through challenges, building meaningful relationships and making healthy life choices.

Leave a Reply