NATIONAL SUICIDE & CRISIS HOTLINE – Text or Call 988

Parents should watch for these behavioral, emotional, and verbal cues, especially if they represent a change from the child’s norm:

• Behavioral Changes
  • Withdrawal from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed.
  • Increased isolation or spending excessive time alone.
  • Changes in sleep (insomnia or oversleeping) or appetite (eating too much or too little).
  • Declining school performance or loss of interest in hobbies.
  • Engaging in risky behaviors (e.g., substance use, reckless actions).
  • Giving away prized possessions or making final arrangements (e.g., writing a will).
• Emotional Shifts
  • Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or irritability.
  • Expressions of worthlessness, guilt, or being a burden.
  • Extreme mood swings or agitation.
  • Loss of interest in future plans or goals.
• Verbal Cues
  • Direct statements like “I want to die” or “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
  • Indirect hints like “Everyone would be better off without me” or “I just want the pain to stop.”
  • Talking about death, suicide, or researching methods online.

Suicide Prevention – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Coping With A Suicide: Catholic Teaching and Pastoral Response by Dr. Frank J. Moncher, Rosella L. Allison, and Arthur A. Bennett

USCCB discussion  on Youth Suicidal Behavior

Red Bird Ministries

Red Bird Ministries serves ordinary families who have been given an extraordinary cross to carry. It is an organization that systematically guides individuals and couples through the complexity and trauma that happens with the loss of a child through miscarriage and stillbirth or as an infant, child, adolescent, or adult, as well as serving families who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide.

After Suicide There’s Still Hope for Them & You by Fr. Chris Alar and Fr. Jason Lewis, MIC

When a Loved One Dies by Suicide by Dcn. Ed Schoener and Bishop John Dolan