Insights from Dr. Meredith Dennis, pediatric psychologist and supervisor of mental health emergency services at Rady Children’s Hospital Orange County
Key takeaways
- Open, direct conversations save lives: Talking honestly about suicide does not put the idea in a child’s head. Asking directly creates safety, builds trust, and helps teens feel supported rather than ashamed.
- Know the risk factors and act on warning signs: Feeling like a burden, isolation, past self-harm, or hopelessness increase risk. Immediate warning signs like talking about death, making plans, giving away belongings, or withdrawing from life require urgent attention.
- Seek help early and stay connected: Reach out to mental health professionals, emergency services, or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline when safety is a concern, and maintain ongoing check-ins to reinforce that teens are not alone.
Understanding the importance of youth suicide prevention
Suicide is a difficult topic for any family to face, but it is one of the most pressing issues affecting young people today. Dr. Meredith Dennis, Supervisor of Mental Health Emergency Services at Rady Children’s, has dedicated her career to crisis work. Her passion comes from personal experience.
“I actually had two friends die by suicide in high school. And so through my journey in becoming a mental health provider, I’ve always been extremely passionate about crisis work and specifically emergency mental health work to make sure that kids in crisis do get the help that they need and that there’s no shame around that and that we’re breaking down the barriers to receiving adequate mental healthcare.”
Understanding the scope of the problem
Statistics underscore the urgency. Between 2000 and 2018, the youth suicide rate among ages 10 to 24 increased from 6.8 per 100,000 to 10.7 per 100,000. Beyond these numbers, more than 20% of teens today have seriously considered suicide.
Per Dr. Dennis, there are several key risk factors attached to youth suicide and certain patterns consistently appear among teens at risk. These include:
- Feeling like a burden: As she explains, “It doesn’t matter whether or not your teen is actually a burden to you or anyone else. It’s really more about the fact that they feel like they are.”
- Social isolation: Feeling disconnected or alone can drive hopelessness.
- History of self-harm or suicide attempts: Previous behaviors increase the risk significantly.
- Hopelessness: Believing that circumstances will never improve can deepen despair.
These risk factors don’t guarantee an attempt but should raise concern and prompt parents to stay engaged.
Warning signs to watch for
Risk factors differ from warning signs, which are more immediate indicators. Parents should pay close attention if their child:
- Talks frequently about death or wanting to die
- Withdraws dramatically from friends or family
- Writes suicide notes or posts concerning messages online
- Makes concrete plans or gathers means to harm themselves
- Gives away prized possessions or deletes social media accounts
- Shows changes in school attendance, sleep patterns, hygiene, or interest in activities
“Any time a child or a teen starts to plan out how they would end their life, starts to try to gather items or objects they may need to potentially seriously harm themselves, that can also be a very huge warning sign we want to look out for,” cautions Dr. Dennis.
Talking about suicide does not cause suicide
One of the most persistent myths is that discussing suicide puts the idea into a child’s head. Dr. Dennis is clear. “It will absolutely not plant the idea in anyone’s head if you open a conversation about it and if you discuss it.”
Instead, open dialogue creates safety and trust. Parents can start gently, such as: “I know sometimes kids your age struggle with difficult thoughts and feelings. Have you ever thought about anything like that or have you ever had any friends who have talked about that?” Asking in this way gives children permission to share without judgment.
The key is to remain calm, listen carefully, and avoid punitive or critical responses. “The more safe they feel and the more they feel they can trust talking to you about this, the more likely they are to actually come to us if they were to ever have any of these thoughts,” suggests Dr. Dennis.
When and how to seek help
If parents see warning signs, it’s important to involve a professional. This may mean contacting a therapist or school counselor, or, in urgent cases, taking the child to the emergency department. “If it ever is a situation where you are immediately concerned about their immediate safety, that’s an indication that we do want to get them emergency help,” urges Dr. Dennis.
Families can also use the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988) by phone or text for on-demand support.
A parent’s role in prevention
Above all, Dr. Dennis encourages parents and caregivers to remember their vital role. “You are the best resource and the best help for your child. Even if you don’t feel like it, you are the best support for them in being able to talk about this very difficult topic openly with them, being able to reach out to get them the help that they need if they do need additional help.”
She stresses that prevention isn’t about one conversation—it’s about many. Checking in regularly, staying open, and ensuring children have trusted adults in their lives builds the safety net they need.
Resources
If you are concerned about a child, please reach out for help.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text TALK to 741741
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Get mental health resources from CHOC pediatric experts
The mental health team at CHOC curated the following resources on mental health topics common to kids and teens, such as depression, anxiety, suicide prevention and more.
