With suicide being the second leading cause in death of children in the country according to officials, a parenting and mental health expert warns that parents need to be on the lookout.
May is recognized as ‘Mental Health Awareness Month,’ and Chief Parenting Officer for ‘Bark Technologies’ Titania Jordan is asking parents to watch for some signs of mental struggles in their children.
She said changes in appetite, sleep, mood, grades, friends, and loss of interests with their children are among those warning signs.
Excessive time on their phone, especially late at night, and hiding or flipping their phone over when their parent comes around can also be warning signs according to Jordan.
If seeing these signs, showing love, and trying to talk to the child about their problems are possible solutions, but Jordan advises to not insist on trying to help the child alone.
“Even if you don't have the answers and even if you ask your child to see if they'll open up to you and they don't, it's probably time to maybe schedule an appointment with a pediatrician,” Jordan said.
According to the CDC there were about 6,500 deaths by suicide in people ages 10-24 in 2022, which is down from over 7,000 the year prior. Overall, though, suicides among young people increased by 62 percent between 2007 and 2021, according to CNBC.
Jordan said there is no time of year they see a spike in suicide numbers.
“I know that we talk about the holiday season being a very lonely, sad time for a lot of people, and it still is,” Jordan said. “But, when it comes to child suicide and self-harm there is not one particular time of the year that we see a spike.”
The CDC reports that in 2022, May, July, and August finished atop the list for most suicides in a month.
Jordan adds that anyone, anywhere could be struggling.
“You could have a perfect home, a perfect home life, the child could have straight A's, and be the captain of the whatever team, yet they could be struggling, and you might not know,” Jordan said.
If you are experiencing mental health struggles or suicidal thoughts and are looking for help, you can call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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