San Marcos Unified School District

Suicide Prevention Resources

Learning that a loved one is feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts can be frightening and overwhelming. The topic of suicide may be difficult to bring up with your loved one.

A black and white image of a person sitting on a windowsill, with the text 'Suicide Awareness for Parents and Caregivers' overlaid.

This document will help support you are your family.
Recognizing the warning signs is an important first step in suicide prevention. Increasing our knowledge can help us feel more comfortable starting the conversation, providing opportunities for our loved one to share their concerns, and to help them get support.

"Talking about suicide is the first step in trying to avoid it. It's the act which may break through the terrible isolation that a kid who is feeling so much pain and so desperate would be experiencing."

Dr. David Bergman, Kids on the Brink: Understanding the Teen Suicide Epidemic

Resource Links

Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide

Parents can find more resources on how to speak to your child about suicide, warning signs, and FAQ's

click here.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Understanding the issues concerning suicide and mental health is an important way to take part in suicide prevention.

Click here.

Yellow Ribbon

Suicide Prevention Program

Click here.

Talking to Your Kids About Suicide

Every parent would like to believe that suicide is not relevant to them or their family or friends. Unfortunately, it's all too relevant for all of us. It's the 3rd leading cause of death in adolescents and the 2nd for college aged students. Even more disturbing are national surveys that tell us that 17% of high school students admit to thinking about suicide and almost 8% acknowledge actually making an attempt.

Once you acknowledge that suicide is as much risk for your child as not wearing a seat belt while driving, or using alcohol or drugs, or engaging in risky sexual behavior, you've taken the first step in prevention. You talk to your children about these other behaviors which can put them at personal risk, and suicide is no different. (Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide)