Suicide and self-harm prevention: How to protect your child

If your child shows signs of suicidal or self-harming thoughts, you can start helping by talking to them about any difficult emotions they experience. Other times, however, you may need to take more immediate action, especially if your child has directly expressed thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

What to do if your child expresses thoughts of suicide or self-harm

If your child has told you about their thoughts of suicide or self-harm, take them seriously and follow the steps below.

1. Explore these thoughts calmly, supporting your child's feelings.
2. Keep your child safe. At home, this includes locking away any means that they might use to harm themselves, such as sharp objects, medications or ropes.
3. Seek help from your child's family doctor or paediatrician. They might recommend an assessment with a mental health care professional such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker.

What to do if your child has a plan for suicide or self-harm

If you learn that your child already has a plan to attempt suicide, follow these steps.

1. Keep your child safe. Remove immediate access to means for self-harm or suicide such as medications, sharp objects or ropes.
2. Seek professional help immediately. If you or your child are concerned that they may act on the suicidal thoughts, seek emergency department care, call 911 or call the number of your local crisis line.

Further information

For more information on protecting your child or teen from suicide or self-harm, please see the following pages:

Suicide in children and teens: Overview

Self-harm in children and teens: Overview

Suicide risk: Signs and symptoms

Suicide and self-harm: How to talk to your child about their emotions

Resources

In Canada, children and teens in distress can contact KidsHelpPhone on KidsHelpPhone.ca or call 1-800-688-6868.

How do I talk to the young person in my life about suicide?