Rates of teen suicide in the United States are alarmingly high. Learning to recognize the warning signs and risk factors of suicide can help prevent this catastrophic event, and support teens in getting the mental health support they need in order to live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
If you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts, call the suicide and crisis lifeline today by dialing 988 to speak to a crisis counselor right now.
Prevalence of Suicidal Behavior in Teens
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, according to recent reporting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to their data:
- 13% of high school girls attempted suicide, while 30% seriously considered it
- 20% of LGBTQ+ teens attempted suicide, and 45% had seriously considered it
- Overall, more than one in five teens have seriously considered suicide
These alarming statistics make one thing clear: suicide risk is highly prevalent and will almost certainly affect teens either directly or indirectly throughout adolescence. Even if a teen isn’t considering suicide themselves, they may have peers or friends who attempt suicide, which can still have an outsized impact on their mental and behavioral health.
Youth suicide prevention starts with raising awareness about the multitude of risk factors that may contribute to a suicide attempt, warning signs of suicide that parents or peers can watch out for, and making the resources and treatment options to support teens’ mental health more available and accessible.
Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Teen Suicide
Risk factors and warning signs are two important factors to consider in recognizing potential suicidal behavior in teens. Looking at each individually can help people to understand the confluence of factors that can all contribute to this devastating mental health outcome, and guide teens toward treatment options that can help them achieve a lasting recovery.
Suicide Risk Factors
Risk factors are external factors that are outside of a person’s direct control, and have been shown to statistically increase the possibility of suicide in teens; such as experiencing poverty, a family history of mental illness, or being exposed to a traumatic event. Some of the biggest risk factors for teen suicide include:
Previous Suicide Attempts
Teens with a history of self-harm or suicide attempts are among the highest risk groups for future suicide attempts. It’s important that if you or a family member has attempted suicide in the past, you stay vigilant in preventing suicide in the future, even if you believe it to be an isolated incident that won’t occur again.
Family History of Suicide
Similarly, having a family history of suicide can be a significant risk factor for an individual. Researchers have identified key genetic links not relating to mental health conditions that may contribute to suicidal thoughts or behaviors, suggesting that suicide is in part due to inherited genetic factors.
Major Depressive Disorder
Suicidal thoughts are a common symptom for people experiencing major depressive disorder, as well as symptoms such as:
- Chronic fatigue
- Sleep difficulties
- A feeling of emptiness or hopelessness
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Difficulties with motivation
If a teen is experiencing major depressive disorder, seeking out treatment from a mental health professional can provide them with evidence-based and actionable tools to help reduce these symptoms, potentially preventing them from attempting suicide in the future.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
While suicidal thoughts aren’t a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder itself, teens who are living with post-traumatic stress disorder attempt and complete suicide at much higher rates than people without any ongoing mental health conditions. Teens who are struggling to manage severe mental and behavioral symptoms following traumatic experiences should seek out professional mental health services to start the path toward recovery, which can help prevent suicidal behavior.
Exposure to Suicide
Teens who are exposed to suicide are more likely to attempt suicide themselves. In a sense, suicide can be contagious. The best way to prevent this contagion is to provide community support options for teens whose friends or peers have completed suicide.
Suicide Warning Signs
Warning signs are indications that a suicide attempt may be just about to happen. These are often visible to outside observers, reflect a sudden change in behavior or demeanor, and are an indication that a teen is in need of targeted mental health care in order to prevent suicide attempts from happening.
Key warning signs that may indicate an upcoming suicide attempt include:
Sudden Social Withdrawal
Teens who suddenly begin to withdraw socially may be planning a suicide attempt. It’s common for young people who are considering suicide to suddenly cut themselves off from friends and family members, start spending more time alone, and avoid social situations whenever possible.
There are a number of reasons why this may be the case, including:
- Ostracization from peers
- Feeling like a burden to others
- Attempting to hide their intentions from others
Regardless, if a teenager suddenly starts cutting social ties and withdrawing inward, it’s often a sign that they need professional help.
Access to Lethal Means
Teens who are considering suicide may start seeking out access to lethal means. According to the Trevor Project, the most common means of death by suicide for people ages 10-24 included:
A teen with access to firearms who is experiencing any type of mental health struggle is an immediate and pressing warning sign. This includes whether they have access to firearms inside the home or outside the home. Removing firearms from the home is the safest way of preventing this means of teen suicide, and any firearms that are kept in the home should be unloaded and secured with a cable or trigger lock, and kept in a gun safe.
The sudden presence of a rope, plastic bags, inert gases, or zip ties are all immediate warning signs as well. These implements are all commonly used in suicide attempts by suffocation.
Finally, medications that can be poisonous in high doses should be secured away from teens as well.
Talking About Suicide
Teens who are having suicidal thoughts will often speak about them. If a teen is talking about suicide or death, do not write it off as a hypothetical situation or assume that they’re not being serious. If a teen brings up thoughts of suicide in conversation, they are likely making a plea for help and may need your support in getting the treatment they need to start feeling better.
Writing Suicide Notes
People who are planning suicide will often begin writing notes to leave to their loved ones. If you find these notes, it is a clear warning sign that a suicide attempt might be imminent, and you should call 988 immediately to help get your teen the resources they need to prevent this catastrophic event.
Finding Evidence-Based Support at Tamarack Center
Suicidal behavior in teens happens for any number of reasons; from prolonged challenges with mental illness, to social ostracization, to living through traumatic events. Whatever the case may be, there are mental health professionals who are equipped with the tools and knowledge to help teens get through these challenging times and achieve a lasting recovery.
At Tamarack Center, our adolescent psychiatric treatment facility pairs the best in mental health services with a rigorous residential treatment schedule to provide teens with the 24/7 support they need during these difficult times. Our team knows that teens experiencing thoughts of suicide have boundless potential and that they can achieve a lasting and flourishing life in recovery if they are just shown the way. To get your teen started with Tamarack Center, fill out our confidential online contact form to speak to one of our representatives and learn more about how we can help.
Tamarack Center is not a crisis center. If a teen is experiencing a suicide crisis, call 988 to speak to a crisis counselor immediately.
