Parents told to talk to kids about suicide, after children as young as nine have thoughts of self-harm

CHILDREN as young as nine are revealing suicidal thoughts at school, prompting experts to advise parents to confront the issue with young people rather than fear the conversation.

CHILDREN as young as nine are revealing suicidal thoughts at school, prompting experts to advise parents to confront the issue with young people rather than fear the conversation.

Family violence, anxiety, peer pressure and school exam stress are among the top reasons.

Centacare Catholic Family Services says it receives reports from schools that two or three children or teens each week reveal they are considering suicide.

The organisation’s Ascend Youth Suicide Intervention Program provided help to seven primary school-aged children in the first half of this year — including three deemed to be at high risk — and 13 high school students.

Among them were three young people who had already attempted suicide.

“This year I’ve seen two nine-year -olds — it’s heartbreaking,” Centacare suicide intervention trainer Elaine Reynolds said.

“It is sad at that age that they even know the word (suicide). They don’t know how to cope and so they just say ‘I want to die’. It’s an extremely isolated feeling.”

Reports tend to spike before and after Year 12 exams as students feel under extra pressure.

Family violence is also having a growing impact.

“I’ve seen so many young kids that want to die because they’re going home to the fear,” Ms Reynolds said.

“But lots of them have siblings and that actually connects them to a responsibility — they’ve got this other young person to live for.”

Centacare staff provided training to 221 school workers from January to June about how to manage disclosures of suicidal thoughts by young people.

Ms Reynolds urged anyone who was worried about a child to raise their concerns.

“A lot of people have that hunch. That then creates fear and they won’t do anything but the hunch is a warning sign. You have to ask,” she said.

“It’s understandable that they’re afraid but you reduce the risk (of the person hurting themselves) by asking.

“Say ‘are you feeling low? Have you felt so low that you would like to hurt yourself?’

“You need to know how they’re going to do it. That will show their level of intent.

“If they say ‘I’m going to take some medication’ then you ask ‘Where are you keeping that?’.”

Ms Reynolds said children had described feeling suicidal to her as like being in “a dark tunnel with no light and they don’t know how to get out”.

“Having a conversation with them, it’s like someone taking their hand and showing them the way out,” she said.

For help, phone Lifeline on 131114 or click here