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

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February 2nd, 2021

If your child tells you they’re thinking of wanting to end their life, how do you help? Number one, don’t panic. Suicide is preventable. Here’s advice for helping young people in crisis, from people who’ve lived through it.

Jesse Zhang for NPR

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.

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