Recently, three members of my Church Health family were impacted by the death by suicide of 15-year-old Fernando Montiel.
It is hard for me to fathom how someone so young can come to feel so hopeless. But a recent report on National Public Radio said that 1 in 12 college students have had an actual suicide plan at some point in their life, so thoughts of suicide among adolescents are much more common than I would have imagined.
While there is no foolproof way to know if your child is living with or developing a mental illness, the National Council for Behavioral Health has offered a few warning signs.
- Adolescents withdraw from their family to spend more time with their friends. If your child is withdrawing from family, friends and social activities, this may be cause for concern.
- Teens want their privacy. But if your child is becoming more secretive or if they seem to be hiding something, this could signal a greater problem.
- As children grow, they outgrow their childhood likes and replace them with teen pursuits. But if your adolescent is losing interest in favorite activities and not replacing them with others, this could be a sign that your teen is struggling in some way.
If you are worried about your child, speak to their school counselor or your child’s pediatrician. These professionals are in a unique position to help you discern if your child’s behaviors are typical of adolescents or if there is a cause for concern.
This is Butch Odom for Church Health.