Suicide is the second leading cause of death in school-age children, and it is preventable.
By now, you have likely heard about the Netflix series '13 Reasons Why', a fictional story about a teenager that commits suicide, and the factors that lead up to it. The series has raised a lot of discussion recently with schools, parents, teens, and suicide prevention experts. If you have a teen and you haven't heard of '13 Reasons Why' it's worth finding out more about it. (Boston Globe story here)
The JED Foundation website has published a good post on some things to think about if you watch this series, and you can also find additional resources for suicide prevention at the NASP website.
If you or your child is in immediate need of help, call Crisis at 413-586-5555 (Hampshire County) 413-774-5411 (Franklin County) or 800-437-5922 (Hampden County). It's even better to have the number in your phone -- a crisis is not often expected.
Another option: Text 'HOME' to the Crisis Text Line (www.crisistextline.org) at 741741 for immediate text based counseling support, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255)
As always, NAP is available with support and resources for your children's physical and mental health. Call or e-mail us (contactus@napeds.com) if you have questions or comments.
