Getting Help for Suicidal Thoughts
By Molly Hedrick, PhD
Suicide is the third leading cause of death worldwide. More than 700,000 people die by suicide each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst youth ages 15-24 and more than 20% of teenagers have seriously considered killing themselves. With such staggering numbers, it is easy to feel helpless or ignore the problem.
Get Help
When someone is struggling with suicidal ideation or behaviors such as self-injury the first goal is to get help. It’s important to note that suicidal thoughts can be normal. Many people feel so overwhelmed sometimes that they don’t want to be alive. If these thoughts don’t go away or are accompanied by plans to act on the thoughts, it is important to tell someone immediately. If someone you know is talking about suicide encourage them to get help. If you are a child or adolescent, make sure you reach out to a trusted adult.
Assessment
Speaking to a professional such as a pediatrician, nurse, therapist or school staff can help assess an individual’s level of risk. Suicide assessment can be a valuable tool in identifying folks who need additional care. Discussing treatment options and making a safety plan is often involved in suicide assessment.
There is not always a direct correlation between those who have suicidal ideation and those who commit suicide, so the prediction of suicide risk is complicated. Assessment can help point folks in the right direction, however, and lead to the best treatment options.
Outpatient Treatment
Sometimes a good therapist can make all the difference. Outpatient therapy can include individual, family and/or group therapy and possibly medication management. Therapy is conducted in someone’s office or via telehealth and visits are often once a week, but can be more or less frequent depending on an individual’s needs. Connecting with an outpatient therapist can help folks understand thoughts and feelings, establish hope, and make a plan to feel better.
Inpatient Care
An inpatient admission is sometimes necessary in an acute crisis such as an attempted suicide or someone who is unable to keep themselves safe outside a hospital setting. Intervention in an inpatient unit might include creating safety plans, individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and medication recommendations.
Inpatient admission is often short-term, however, and might not fully address how to cope in stressful situations outside a hospital environment. There is still work to be done.
Partial and intensive outpatient
Day treatment programs typically are 3-7 hours per day and allow teens to return home at the end of program hours. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) are typically shorter and allow you to attend school or work while receiving treatment, whereas partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) are longer and provide a full day of care. They can be a step down from the inpatient level of care and a step up from outpatient treatment. They tend to be longer term than inpatient treatment and provide intensive group, individual, family, milieu, and psychiatric-based treatment. This level of comprehensive treatment can help get teens and families through difficult times and provide momentum for further treatment once discharged.
Bradley REACH and other providers offer virtual PHP or IOP services, making this level of care available for teens and families who struggle to travel to a hospital on a daily basis.
Home-Based Interventions
Home-based care involves someone coming into the home and working on skills and problem-solving with the entire family, usually for multiple hours per week (amount of time can vary). Home-based clinicians often work with families to develop individual goals which can include community involvement and family goals such as improved structure and communication.
School-Based Interventions
Since teens spend most of their day at school, it is often helpful for schools to be aware of any safety concerns. They can work with outpatient providers and families to support and provide accommodations as necessary. Sharing a safety plan with the school support system such as guidance counselors, social workers and/or psychologists is recommended.
Group and Residential Treatment Programs
Group home and residential treatment programs are longer-term options for folks that are struggling to maintain safety despite attempts at other interventions. This could be for months or even years to allow for round-the-clock care and long-term treatment. This is often a last resort and may be related to larger social stressors (e.g., for children who don’t have a stable home).
Ideally, folks are provided with the least restrictive treatment needed to build coping strategies, stay connected to their communities and feel more hopeful about their lives.
Get Mental Health Care
We’d love to connect you or someone you know with mental health care. To refer a child/teen/adolescent or yourself, please call (877) 992-2422 or click here to make a referral. Bradley REACH’s expert teams of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses provide intensive mental health care and therapy to teams and families, virtually, in New England, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Florida.
DISCLAIMER:
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
If you or your child are in crisis or experiencing mental health problems please seek the advice of a licensed clinician or call 988 or Kids Link in Rhode Island.
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