The tragic death of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a high-rise apartment in Dubai last month shocked the nation. More than a million people die by committing suicide across the globe each year, and it’s also the third-leading cause of death for ten-to 24-year-olds in the US, according to US-based website Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
While 25-50 per cent of teens who attempt suicide do not tell others about their suicidal thoughts, there are warning signs. “Hoarding medication, withdrawing from friends, family and activities, changes in sleeping patterns, giving away prized possessions, and researching suicide and suicide methods on the internet are significant behavioural warning signs that [suggest] a teen could be at risk for suicide,” says Carey Kirk, Counselling Psychologist, The LightHouse Arabia.
“Some children, however, may go to great lengths to hide the warning signs of their suicidal intentions from those around them or may act impulsively in a moment of despair and desperation without time for parents to pick up on the signs.”
“Parents should not dismiss or trivialise children’s mood swings,” says Mary John, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dubai Community Health Centre.
The most common cause of depression in children is stress and social isolation. “Teenagers are in a fragile state of change and transition, oscillating between their childhood needs and the needs of an emerging adult. Their sense of self is constantly under scrutiny and in flux. If your teenager exhibits any troublesome behaviour, let him know that you have noticed it and that it concerns you,” says Evelyn Seika, Educational Psychologist, Top Medical Centre.
If a child reports feeling suicidal, parents should get him professional support as soon as possible, says Kirk.
