Resources for Parents

About the Video

Right after a child makes a suicide attempt can be a deeply confusing, scary, and emotional time for parents and families. Understandably, parents may have a lot of questions or concerns. While health care professionals, school leaders, and others may have addressed many questions, often hearing directly from parents who have been there can be especially supportive. 

Parents to Parents: After Your Child's Suicide Attempt

For Parents

Hearing that your child is having thoughts of suicide or has made an attempt can be overwhelming. But you are not alone. The parents interviewed for this video have been there and understand. We hope this video offers some practical guidance for the days and weeks to come, but—more importantly—hope. People do get better, recover, and create lives worth living.

The video was created to:

• Describe what parents can expect in the days and weeks following a child’s suicide-related crisis
• Provide information on how to access effective treatment
• Offer insights on how parents can best support their child and family
• Validate the feelings ttahat can accompany a child’s suicide-related crisis
• Direct caregivers to additional supportive resources

Making the Most of the Video

The video is approximately one hour. You may want to watch the video in its entirety the first time. However, it is available in chapters for you to return to after that to re-watch specific sections. If you would like to return to specific sections, a playlist of the video that includes chapters is available at the link below.

• Chapter Playlist

Post-Viewing Survey

After viewing the video, please complete the survey using the link below. Your responses can help inform us as we work to improve this resource or any future resources. All survey responses gathered here are confidential and will only be shared in aggregate without identifying information when presented anywhere publicly. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for your participation.

• Survey

For Health Care Professionals and School and Community Leaders

Families, understandably, will have many questions in the days and weeks following a suicide attempt of their child. It can be hard to process and retain all that is being told to them and available resources will vary community by community. This video captures many of the questions raised by parents and describes best practices in suicide care so that parents can best navigate a complex health care system. 

By hearing from parents whose child has made a suicide attempt as well as national experts in suicide prevention, parent’s feelings are validated and they can be directed to quality care that best supports their child. This video is not meant to replace any care provided in the community, rather, will hopefully serve to augment care provided by health care professionals as parents can return to it again and again.

Making the Most of the Video

Who can disseminate this video? 

Emergency departments, inpatient hospitals, residential care, crisis services, mobile crisis units, community mental health providers, pediatricians, schools, substance misuse professionals, peer advocates, faith leaders, anyone who has encountered a family whose child has recently made a suicide attempt or talked about suicide. Add the video link to discharge paperwork and planning or share the link with parents as part of medical or behavioral health care.

Below, we have provided a curated list of supplemental resources for additional support.

Resources

Immediate Services 

Resources For Developing a Safety Plan

Stanley-Brown Safety Plan

The Stanley-Brown Safety Plan is a form developed by Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention intended to help individuals develop a plan of action when thoughts of suicide occur. This action plan has users identify triggers, coping strategies, people to help distract them from suicidal thoughts, people to contact in a crisis, professional agencies to contact in a crisis, and plans for lethal means safety.

Pause to Protect 

Managing access to lethal means is an important step in developing a safety plan. The Pause to Protect website includes a national map of firearm businesses willing to consider voluntary, temporary firearm storage, along with materials for businesses and customers.

Resources to Support Families After a Child's Suicide Attempt

Suicide Prevention Resources and Support for Friends & Family

Sorting through available articles and research on suicide can be overwhelming. To alleviate some of this burden, CAMS- care has created a collection of articles as a starting point.  These articles touch on topics such as identifying risk factors and warning signs, what to expect from calling 988, how to find the right therapist, and tips for parents with struggling children.

After an Attempt: A Guide 

From Substance Abuse Mental Health Services, this guide gives families information on what happens during Emergency Department treatment, and how to take care of their loved one after treatment.

Guiding Their Way Back

Beyond Blue, Australia's guide provides resources specifically tailored to support everyday people following a suicide attempt.  This resource acts as a starting point for working through the difficult, and at times overwhelming, questions that can arise following an attempt.

Family Life After Attempt

This article by Pepperdine University offers statistics and recommendations aimed to help families navigate life after an attempt.  This article addresses topics including ensuring a safe return home, understanding the emotional toll on family members, communicating with your child or teen after an attempt, and getting back to "regular life".

Talking About Suicide With Your Child Under Age 12

This article, written by Dr. John Ackerman, presents parents with steps on how to create a safe place to talk about suicide with their young child. Included is a video of Dr. Ackerman identifying and addressing suicidal behavior in children 12 and under

Loving Someone With Suicidal Thoughts

Written by Dr. Stacey Freedenthal, this book provides guidance on supporting your loved one while also looking out for your own mental health. The book tackles questions such as "What are signs and clues of risk?", "What do I say and do after an attempt?" and "What can I do to cope better?".

Speaking of Suicide

Speaking of Suicide is a curated website dedicated to addressing the complexity of suicide through a variety of posts and resources. Topics covered include what to do if you are thinking of suicide, friends and family support, survivor stories, and professional recommendations.

What to do, What to say

Written by Anne Moss Rogers, this eBook focuses on how to manage conversations regarding suicide, and how to navigate the emotions that come with supporting a suicidal child. The eBook provides script examples on how to initiate a conversation about suicide, what questions to ask the child, and how to build resiliency as you provide support.

Teen Suicide Prevention 

In this video from the Mayo Clinic, teens describe common warning signs of suicidal ideation among their peers and encourage direct communication and immediate support and safety.

Helping Kids Who Are Thinking of Suicide

Experts from Nationwide's Children's Hospital's Center for Suicide Prevention Research have compiled a list of things to remember when supporting a child who is thinking about suicide.  This resource includes statistics, suggestions for initiating conversation, and tips on how to preserve your own mental health while supporting your loved one. 

10 Things to Say to a Suicidal Person

Written by Dr. Stacey Freedenthal and posted to National Alliance on Mental Illness Queens/ Nassau, this post provides ten statements you can say to a person considering suicide, along with the context and rational behind them.

Ideas of How to Talk to Your Child About Suicide

This resource by Anne Moss Rogers highlights important steps and considerations for supporting someone who has shared their suicidal ideation with you.  The resource acknowledges the complexities of providing support, and provides tactical and emotional support for the caregiver. 

Prevent Suicide: Ask the Question

This article from Seattle Children's Hospital highlights the importance of asking the question "are you thinking about suicide?" and provides parents with knowledge to help them identify warning signs, contact support services, and prevent suicide attempts for their child.

The Adolescent Safety and Coping Plan

The Adolescent Safety and Coping Plan (ASCP) is a safety planning intervention designed for adolescents at risk for suicide and their families. Developed by Kimberly McManama O'Brien and colleagues, the ASCP is tailored for adolescents returning home from hospital level of care (but can be used at any level of care).

Family Connections™ – Managing Suicidality & Trauma Recovery Program

This free course, developed by the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder, provides skills and support for parents of children dealing with self-harm or suicidal behaviors. Through this program, parents learn to manage the stress and trauma they experience while supporting their child, as well as how to respond to the child's crisis behavior.   

Holding Onto Life Toolkit

Developed by Macomb County Suicide Prevention Coalition, this free toolkit supplies parents with data and best practices for supporting an adolescent with suicidal ideation.  This resource addresses the mentality behind suicidal ideation, as well as how to identify signs of suicidality, and how to have conversations about mental health with adolescents.

Resources For The Person Who Made The Attempt

After An Attempt

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers this resource to help people navigate and process their emotions following their suicide attempt. Included are safety plan resources, tips on interacting with family and friends, and reassurance that the attempt survivor is not alone.

Resources for Returning to School

How to Help a Youth Return to School After an Attempt

Created by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Research, this infographic depicts key statistics on youth suicide and offers data driven solutions on how school systems can support returning students.

Emotionally Naked

This book by Anne Moss Rogers and Kimberly H McManama O'Brien, initially intended for school personnel, can serve to inform parents on what schools can and should be doing to held children with suicidal thoughts.

Parent Support Groups and Resources

NAMI Family Support Groups

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides free, confidential family support groups for families living with mental health challenges. These groups help families support other families in their area through collective lived experience and learned group wisdom.

AFSP Support Groups

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has local chapters in all 50 states.  These chapters aim to create an informed mental health culture through community programs, educational opportunities, research, advocacy, and support. 

Supporting Marriage When a Child Has Major Mental Illness(es)

In this article, the Newport Academy highlights difficulties in a marriage that may come from supporting a child that is suicidal.  This resource offers explanations, validations, and solutions to possible problems, and provides tips on how to keep your partnership strong as you support your loved one.

Talking With Children About Their Sibling's Suicide Attempt 

Talking to Kids About a Sibling Suicide Attempt by Age Appropriateness 

This resource from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs provides age-specific guidance on discussing a sibling's suicide attempt. Divided into "preschool age", "school age", and "teenage" sections, this resource addresses the nuances of suicide discussions based on age and offers helpful tips to ensure that the sibling of the suicide survivor is properly supported.