Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death for young people in the United States.
For years, the focus has been on teens. But doctors say a disturbing shift is emerging. Some children are experiencing suicidal thoughts far earlier than many parents ever imagined.
New research is now identifying warning signs in kids as young as 5, 7, and 10 years old.
Experts say the findings are alarming, but they are also an opportunity for families to step in sooner and save lives.
“Historically, we have thought that kids younger than the age of 12 don’t actually experience suicidal thoughts, but increasingly we started seeing some numbers creep up,” said Adam Bryant Miller, an associate professor and psychologist at UNC School of Medicine.
Miller is studying how to identify early warning signs in younger children.
“Between the ages of 5 to 7 is when kids naturally start to understand what death means,” Miller said. “We definitely had 5-year-olds. We definitely had 6-year-olds that would endorse these thoughts.”
His research found that 34% of children reported having passive thoughts of dying like wanting to go to sleep and not wake up and 33% had active suicidal ideas like thinking, “I should kill myself.”
Parents should watch for big changes like withdrawing or seeming sad, unusual irritability, talking about wanting to disappear, intense fear or trauma or repeatedly acting out, and death in play or drawings.
“If you notice a very significant shift in your child’s behavior, those are times where you may start to just observe and figure out what is different for them,” Miller said.
And one major misconception still stops many parents from speaking up.
“I want to state clearly that there is no data to suggest across young kids, adolescents, or adults that asking about suicide gives anyone the idea of suicide,” Miller said.
In fact, he says, asking directly can help children feel safe.
“Kids feel relieved when someone asks them,” Miller said.
His message to parents: Don’t panic and don’t stay silent.
Miller stresses these thoughts are rare in younger children, but it’s real, and we need more studies with more data in this age range.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline anytime.
You can also find a list of local resources available at this link.