Teen Suicide Prevention Week assists families to do a ‘check in’ with teens
THE South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) is assisting families with doing a mental health “check-in” with teenagers.
February 12 to 19 marks Teen Suicide Prevention Week.
After a string of teen suicide reports across the country, the organisation said it was pivotal to confront this increasing challenge.
News about a child as young as 10 who died by suicide sparked major concerns about ways to prevent suicide. It was also revealed that many more cases like these had not been reported, which was an important reminder that issues of mental health are still stigmatised.
Sadag said the symptoms of depression and anxiety are so widespread they frequently go unnoticed until it is too late.
It is reported that teens are dealing with a variety of difficulties, including relationship problems, trauma, depression, loss, bullying, and family struggles. These problems often combine to make a teen feel overwhelmed, helpless and hopeless.
Teens often feel guilty and do not want to burden their family or friends with their problems, which makes regular check-ins even more important.
The organisation said there was still a lot of stigma and fear regarding suicide. It said many parents and teachers were afraid that if they talked about suicide with teens, it could cause them to take their lives.
Sadag’s board deputy chairman and clinical psychologist Zamo Mbele said: “Research shows that talking about suicide with a young person does not cause them to have thoughts of suicide or wanting to end their lives. However, the danger comes from not talking about it, which can lead to thoughts of suicide turning into actions.
Sadag operations director Cassey Chambers said: “You can do these check-ins any time during the day — normalise having these chats while driving to school, while preparing meals, waiting in a queue, or on a walk. The conversations don’t have to be scary. The more you incorporate them into your day-to-day, the more you make them more natural and less like a serious family meeting. Teens will then learn that talking about their feelings is normal and okay and that you are a safe space to talk to about their emotions.”