Make Space, Listen, Offer Hope: How To Help A Child At Risk Of Suicide

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (en español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

It was over a decade ago when Regina Crider's daughter first attempted suicide at age 10.

"As a mom, the thought of losing your child to suicide is overwhelming," says Crider, who is the founder and executive director of Youth and Family Alliance, a support group for families of youth with mental illness in Rantoul, Ill.

Crider was upset and confused and felt that she had failed as a mother.

"I felt like maybe I missed the signs," she says. "Because I work with families, why didn't I see it?"

Her daughter survived the attempt, but the fear of losing her kicked Crider into action. "I needed to understand why and what I could do [to help her]," she says, "because I didn't want to come home to her gone."

That started her years-long journey into figuring out how best to help her daughter with her mental health struggles — a journey that hasn't ended for the family but has gotten easier over time.

As the coronavirus pandemic has worsened the mental health of kids, more families are dealing with their children feeling anxious and depressed and thinking about and even attempting suicide. But mental health professionals say that suicide is preventable and that parents and family members can play an important role.

It's hard work that requires parents