Tips for Talking to Teens About Suicide

By Rachel Frye | Posted on September 2, 2025

Silhouette of Lonely Teenager Sitting in the Dark Doorway

Suicide remains a profoundly difficult and often taboo topic to discuss. But as one of the leading causes of death in the United States, it’s not something that parents should shy away from.

“As parents or caregivers, we intuitively know that we should ask our kids what they need, but we don’t always know how to do it, where to do it or what that might look like,” said Elizabeth Schuett-Davison, Wellpoint Care Network Clinical Supervisor and Trainer. “The biggest thing that I always say when it comes to suicide is to just ask.”

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness, promote hope and normalize reaching out for help.

“You have to be having open conversations with your child,” adds Schuett-Davison. “Ask the questions that might feel uncomfortable and then actually stop and listen — don’t assume you know what they’re going to say or put your own judgment on it. Really listen with curiosity and openness. The more you as a parent or caregiver can talk openly about feelings, the more likely they are going to come to you when they are experiencing suicidal thoughts or find themselves in tough situations.”

As a trusted adult, you should also be willing and open to helping other children in your or your child’s life.

“Statistically, kids go to their friends first,” says Schuett-Davison. “Ideally, if a friend tells your child they are struggling, your child then feels comfortable coming to you so that you can help support them in getting that friend help and resources.”

Though suicide affects all ages, a strong focus remains on bringing awareness to high school-aged children. That’s because the 2023 Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 18.6% of students in the state have seriously considered suicide, 14.9% have made a plan to attempt suicide and 8.7% have attempted suicide.

Wellpoint Care Network is working to combat those numbers. One way is through a partnership with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) to work directly with Pewaukee School District to continue to share warning signs, risk factors and community-based solutions.

“We don’t always give high schoolers enough credit to know what they need or to know what’s going on with them,” says Schuett-Davison. “We like to assume we know what they need or what would be most helpful. As part of our work with Pewaukee School District, we went in and asked students what they needed, what they were seeing within their friends, what they were experiencing day-to-day and what they were finding hard to talk about. Again, open and honest conversations. That is the key.”

The project began in September 2024 and is ongoing. The work was also the focus of a recent keynote presentation given by Schuett-Davison.

“Our goal is to expand this work throughout the country. We got a lot of positive feedback, mainly that these are manageable steps that can make a big impact.”

Whether you are a parent, teacher or caregiver, Schuett-Davison says to remember that everyone goes through tough times. Even if a child is having suicidal thoughts, it doesn’t mean they will act on them.

“It’s important for adults to understand that being a teenager is really hard, even when it looks like they’re doing okay on the outside,” adds Schuett-Davison. “You have to be open to the fact that your child might need some additional support, even if you don’t quite understand why.”

Know the Warning Signs

Suicide is complicated, but it can be preventable. Knowing the common warning signs of suicide can help save lives.

Making suicidal statements. Saying things like “You’d be better off if I wasn’t here,” “Everyone’s life would be better if I just disappeared” or “I can’t do this anymore” can be a subtle cry for help.
Increased isolation, shutting down or pulling away from people.
Loss of interest in hobbies or activities that they normally enjoy.
Giving away possessions or making a will.
Seeming hopeless about the future, or powerless to change things.