| Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child | 292.000000000000 | Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child | Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child | S | English | Psychiatry | School age child (5-8 years);Pre-teen (9-12 years);Teen (13-18 years) | NA | NA | Conditions and diseases | Caregivers
Adult (19+) | NA | | 2016-02-11T05:00:00Z | | | | | | 9.40000000000000 | 56.4000000000000 | 373.000000000000 | | Health (A-Z) - Conditions | Health A-Z | <p>Learn how to protect your child if they have thoughts of suicide or self-harm.</p> | <p>If your child shows
<a href="/Article?contentid=290&language=English">signs of suicidal or self-harming thoughts</a>, you can start helping by
<a href="/Article?contentid=293&language=English">talking to them about any difficult emotions</a> they experience. Other times, however, you may need to take more immediate action, especially if your child has directly expressed thoughts of
<a href="/Article?contentid=291&language=English">suicide</a> or
<a href="/Article?contentid=289&language=English">self-harm</a>.</p> | | <h2>Key points</h2>
<ul>
<li>If your child or teen is expressing suicidal thoughts, talk to them calmly, secure any means to do harm and contact your child's family doctor or pediatrician.</li>
<li>If your child or teen has expressed a plan for suicide, remove any means for self-harm or suicide and call 911 or your local crisis line.</li>
</ul> | | | | | | | | <h2>What to do if your child expresses thoughts of suicide or self-harm</h2><p>If your child has told you about their thoughts of suicide or self-harm, take them seriously and follow the steps below.</p><ol><li>Explore these thoughts calmly, supporting your child's feelings.</li><li>Keep your child safe. At home, this includes locking away any means that they might use to harm themselves, such as sharp objects, medications or ropes.</li><li>Seek help from your child's family doctor or paediatrician. They might recommend an assessment with a mental health care professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker.</li></ol><h2>What to do if your child has a plan for suicide or self-harm</h2><p>If you learn that your child already has a plan to attempt suicide, follow these steps.</p><ol><li>Keep your child safe. Remove immediate access to means for self-harm or suicide such as medications, sharp objects or ropes.</li><li>Seek professional help immediately. If you or your child are concerned that they may act on the suicidal thoughts, seek emergency department care, call 911 or call the number of your
<a href="https://suicideprevention.ca/Need-Help/" target="_blank">local crisis line</a>.</li></ol> | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | <h2>Further information</h2><p>For more information on protecting your child or teen from suicide or self-harm, please see the following pages:</p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=291&language=English">Suicide in children and teens: Overview</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=289&language=English">Self-harm in children and teens: Overview</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=290&language=English">Suicide risk: Signs and symptoms</a></p><p>
<a href="/Article?contentid=293&language=English">Suicide and self-harm: How to talk to your child about their emotions</a></p><h2>Resources<br></h2><p>In Canada, children and teens in distress can contact KidsHelpPhone on
<a href="https://kidshelpphone.ca/" target="_blank">KidsHelpPhone.ca</a> or call 1-800-688-6868.</p><p><a href="https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-info/how-do-i-talk-to-the-young-person-in-my-life-about-suicide/">How do I talk to the young person in my life about suicide?</a></p> | | <img alt="" src="https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/suicide_how_to_protect.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | https://assets.aboutkidshealth.ca/AKHAssets/suicide_how_to_protect.jpg | | | | | | | Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child | | False | | | | | | | | |
