Church Partnership Newsletter November 2017 | Page 2
Parents have an essential role in educating their children about the
importance of taking care of their mental health just as they would their
physical health. The earlier a mental health issue is identified, the
sooner effective treatment and recovery can begin.
Research is very clear that talking about suicide does not give your child
ideas about trying it or increase the risk of a suicide attempt in the future.
Talking about suicide shows your child that you are concerned and want
to help.
Even if your child is not depressed, it is important to have direct
conversations about mental health and how friends may be dealing with
these issues. Some of the following are good ways to start a
conversation:
Do you ever get sad or lonely? What do you do to make yourself feel better?
Do you or your friends ever talk about hurting yourselves or not wanting to live anymore?
How would you handle it if you knew someone who was talking about hurting themselves?
How to Start the Conversation
If your child makes a comment about hurting himself/herself or wanting to die, always take him/her seriously.
Start with these phrases to better understand what he or she is feeling:
“What’s wrong? How can I help?”
“Sometimes kids feel so sad or upset that they feel like hurting themselves. Have you been feeling like
that?” “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”
“You can always talk to me about how you feel. We will get through this together.”
By talking about suicide, you let your child know you are there for support and are open to discussing any
topic, no matter how uncomfortable it is.
If your child is having suicidal thoughts, take him or her to your local emergency room immediately or
call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also contact the Crisis
Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741. Trained crisis counselors are standing by to help 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Do not leave your child alone until you see a mental health professional.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of
all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the
comfort we ourselves receive from God.