Guidelines

Everyone can contribute to preventing youth suicide, the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 19, though it often begins even earlier. Suicide deaths are considered preventable, and their prevention is the responsibility of all of society. When a situation arises that might indicate pain or suffering in a minor, the World Health Organization recommends directly asking about suicidal thoughts, starting as early as age 10. The reality is that very few of us follow this recommendation because we rarely talk about suicide, out of fear, lack of knowledge, because we never think it could happen to us, or because we wouldn't know what to do if someone told us they were thinking about death. We can all do our part in detecting suicide risk, but we can also help prevent it from occurring.