Hope, Healing & Hotlines
Suicide
Know the Facts
- 44,965 people die by suicide each year (AFSP)
- Based on the 2015 Youth Risk Behaviors Survey, 8.6 percent of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months (AFSP)
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people aged 5-25 (AACAP)
- Every 2 hours and 11 minutes, a young person under the age of 25 contemplates suicide (Suicide& Crisis Center of North Texas)
Risk Factors
- A recent or serious loss
- A mental health disorder, particularly a mood disorder such as depression
- Prior suicide attempts
- Alcohol and other substance use disorders
- Stigma associated with asking for help
Learn more about risk factors here.
Protective Factors
- Strong connections with family, friends and community
- Good problem-solving abilities
- Access to appropriate clinical intervention
Learn more about protective factors here.
Warning Signs
- Talking about suicide
- Making statements about feeling hopeless, helpless or worthless
- A deepening depression
- Preoccupation with death
- Taking unnecessary risks or exhibiting self-destructive behavior
Learn more about warning signs here.
What to Do if You’re Worried
- Tell your child how important he or she is to you
- Validate your child’s feelings and express empathy
- Don’t be afraid to talk openly about your concern
Read a more detailed guide to helping children in distress here.
Crisis Resources
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-8255 or chat with a counselor online
Treatment
Mood disorders including depression and bipolar disorder may increase the risk of suicide. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential. Treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) and mindfulness, as well as medication. Learn more about treatment here.
Get information about the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute or request an appointment here.
Learn More
- How to Talk to Your Parents About Getting Help
Speaking up for yourself is the first step to getting better. - How to Support a Friend With Mental Health Challenges
While still taking care of yourself. - Signs a Child Might Be Suicidal
What to watch out for and how to help. - Teen Suicides: What Are the Risk Factors?
Temperament, family and community all play a role. - What to Do if You’re Worried About Suicide
A parent’s guide to helping a child in distress. - LGBTQ Teens, Bullying and Suicide
What are the causes and how can we help? - Parenting a Depressed Teenager
Start by listening without judgment. - Signs of Depression During the Coronavirus Crisis
Kids who seem stuck in a negative mood may need help to bounce back. - Help for Cutting and Other Self-Injury
When kids hurt themselves as a way to manage difficult emotions. - Helping Resistant Teens into Treatment
And why they need to want to get better. - Taking Your Child to the Emergency Room
What the ER can (and can’t) do for your child in a psychiatric emergency. - OCD and Suicide
How a form of OCD can be mistaken for being suicidal. - Coping With a Parent’s Suicide
How to help the children who are left behind. - Supporting Children After the Suicide of a Classmate
Responding to a painful loss in the healthiest way possible.
Abuse Prevention <=Click here
Anxiety <=Click Here
Why its important: Younger Americans report higher rates of depression and anxiety than previous generations. While there’s never a single cause of suicide, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety are considered a primary risk factor.
Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay
What is Anxiety?
Everything You Need to Know About Anxiety<=Click Here
Websites to Help With Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders Association of America<=
Anxiety Panic Attack Resources<=
Anxiety Coach Information and checklist<=
Apps For Anxiety
Click on a link
- The Virtual Hope Box mobile application received the 2014 Department of Defense Innovation Award for its unique application of technology in supporting behavioral health in service members and military families.
- Mindshift will help you learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps that will help you take charge of your anxiety. This app includes strategies to deal with everyday anxiety, as well as specific tools to tackle: Making Sleep Count, Riding Out Intense Emotions, Test Anxiety, Perfectionism, Social Anxiety, Performance Anxiety, Worry, Panic, and Conflict
- Rate Health-line's best anxiety app for 2017 SAM will help you to understand what causes your anxiety, monitor your anxious thoughts and behavior over time and manage your anxiety through self-help exercises and private reflection. The "Social cloud" feature will enable you to share your experiences with the SAM community while protecting your identity
- Information on depression and mood, depression test, thought diary, videos on meditation, mindfulness, TED talks, and a safety plan if needed.
- A Soft Murmur is a site that streams different types of ambient sounds and allows you to mix their volumes together however you like. Many people work in public spaces like libraries and coffee shops, but they can be noisy and distracting. Listening to ambient helps many people to focus, and being able to mix different sounds together to match the environment helps you feel in control of the experience.
Bullying Websites for Parents and Students <=Click Here

- www.davidslegacy.org/
- Talk to Your Kids About Cyberbullying
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children-
- Region 16's parent involvement resources page
- Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center
- Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying
- Pacer Center’s Teens Against Bullying
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dating Safety <=Click Here
- Texas Advocacy Project<=Click Here What every teen needs to know
- Love Is Respect<=Click Here Texting services to help
- Signs of A Healthy Relationship<=Click Here
Depression in Teens <=Click Here
Help Hotlines <=Click Here