Updated September 2026
If you’re worried that a teenager in your life may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, starting a conversation can feel overwhelming. But you don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference.
Teen suicide prevention starts with recognizing warning signs, asking direct questions, listening without judgment, creating a safer environment, and connecting young people with the right support.
Suicide is complex, and there is rarely one cause. Mental health challenges, trauma, substance use, bullying, social isolation, relationship difficulties, access to lethal means, and other experiences can increase risk. At the same time, supportive relationships, healthy coping skills, connection, and access to quality mental health care can help protect young people.
Teen Suicide and Mental Health in Wisconsin
For families, schools, and communities across Wisconsin, youth mental health remains an important concern.
According to the latest statewide Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey:
- Nearly 1 in 5 Wisconsin high school students (18.6%) seriously considered attempting suicide during the previous 12 months.
- Nearly 15% made a suicide plan during the previous 12 months.
- More than 1 in 3 students (35%) reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks.
- 1 in 5 students (20.9%) reported non-suicidal self-harm.
Wisconsin’s 2025 State Health Assessment also found that the percentage of high school students seriously considering suicide has consistently increased over the past decade.
These numbers represent more than statistics. They represent young people who may be hurting, families searching for answers, and communities with an opportunity to provide support.
Understanding teen suicide warning signs and knowing how to respond can be an important first step.
What are the Risk Factors for Teen Suicide?
There is no single reason a teenager may experience suicidal thoughts. A combination of individual experiences, relationships, and environmental circumstances can influence risk.
According to the CDC, suicide risk factors can include mental health conditions, a previous suicide attempt, bullying, social isolation, substance use, relationship difficulties, and easy access to lethal means. Experiencing one or more risk factors does not mean a teen will attempt suicide.
Some factors parents and caregivers should be aware of include:
Mental Health Challenges
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions can affect how a teen thinks, feels, and responds to difficult situations. Persistent sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, or changes in everyday functioning may signal that a young person needs additional support.
Previous Suicide Attempts or Self-Harm
A history of suicide attempts is an important risk factor that should always be taken seriously. Self-harm does not necessarily mean someone intends to die by suicide, but it can indicate significant emotional distress and may be associated with increased risk. Wisconsin DHS reports that adolescents ages 10–19 have the highest rates of self-harm of any age group in the state.
Trauma, Bullying and Social Isolation
Traumatic experiences, bullying, abuse, rejection and feeling disconnected from others can contribute to emotional distress. Supportive relationships with family, friends, teachers, coaches, counselors and other trusted adults can help create an important sense of connection.
Substance Use
Alcohol and drug use can affect judgment, emotions, and decision-making. When substance use occurs alongside mental health challenges or other risk factors, additional professional support may be needed.
Access to Lethal Means
Easy access to lethal means can increase suicide risk. When there is concern about a teen’s safety, securely storing or removing access to firearms, medications, and other potentially dangerous items is an important prevention measure.
What are the Warning Signs of Suicide in Teens?
Every teenager experiences difficult emotions differently, and a single behavior does not necessarily mean a teen is considering suicide. However, new, concerning, or rapidly increasing changes in behavior, mood, or communication deserve attention.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), suicide warning signs can include:
Changes in What a Teen Says
A teen may talk about:
- Wanting to die
- Feeling hopeless, empty or trapped
- Feeling like a burden to others
- Experiencing unbearable emotional or physical pain
- Feeling intense guilt or shame
- Having no reason to live
Changes in Behavior
Watch for new or increasing behaviors such as:
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Saying goodbye or giving away important possessions
- Researching or making a suicide plan
- Taking dangerous or unusual risks
- Eating or sleeping significantly more or less
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
Changes in Mood
A teen may experience:
- Extreme sadness
- Increased anxiety or agitation
- Rage or anger
- Significant mood swings
- Hopelessness or emotional emptiness
If these changes are new, increasing, or concerning, reach out rather than waiting for more signs to appear.
Suicide Prevention for Teens: Here are 8 Things You Can Do
Knowing what to say or do when you're concerned about a teenager isn't always easy. These teen suicide prevention strategies can help parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults start the conversation and connect a young person with appropriate support.
1. Recognize Teen Suicide Warning Signs
Knowing the warning signs of suicide in teens can help you recognize when a young person may need support.
Pay attention to new or concerning changes such as withdrawing from friends and family, talking about feeling hopeless or like a burden, extreme mood changes, increased substance use, giving away possessions, or talking about death or suicide.
Rather than assuming a behavior is simply part of adolescence, stay curious about what may be happening beneath the surface.
2. Ask Directly About Suicide
If you're concerned about a teen, it is okay to ask directly: “Are you thinking about suicide?”
Asking about suicide does not put the idea into someone's head. A direct, compassionate question can instead give a teen permission to talk about what they're experiencing.
Try to approach the conversation calmly. The goal isn't to have the perfect response—it's to create space for an honest one.
3. Listen Without Judgment
When a teen opens up about their mental health or suicidal thoughts, listen before trying to fix the situation.
Give them your full attention. Avoid minimizing their feelings, comparing their experience to someone else's, or immediately telling them what they should do.
You might not completely understand what they're experiencing, but you can show them that their feelings matter and that they don't have to face them alone.
4. Take Every Concern Seriously
Comments about suicide should never be dismissed as attention-seeking, dramatic, or “just a phase.”
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can signal serious emotional distress. If a teen talks about wanting to die, hurting themselves, or feeling that others would be better off without them, take what they are saying seriously.
Respond with compassion and connect them with appropriate help.
5. Reduce Access to Lethal Means
Making the environment safer is an important part of suicide prevention for teens.
If there is concern about suicide risk, parents and caregivers should securely store or remove access to firearms, medications, and other potentially dangerous items.
Creating distance between a young person experiencing a crisis and lethal means can provide valuable time for the crisis to pass and for help to arrive.
6. Create a Suicide Safety Plan
A suicide safety plan gives a young person clear steps to follow if suicidal thoughts or overwhelming emotions occur.
Ideally developed collaboratively with a qualified mental health professional, a personalized safety plan can identify:
- Individual warning signs
- Healthy coping strategies
- Trusted adults and supportive people
- Safe places to go
- Professional and crisis resources
- Steps for making the environment safer
A safety plan is different from asking a teen to simply promise that they won't harm themselves. NIMH specifically recommends collaborative safety planning rather than relying on a “safety contract.”
7. Strengthen Connection and Support
Feeling connected to other people can be an important protective factor for teen mental health.
Encourage relationships with supportive family members, friends, teachers, coaches, counselors, mentors, and other trusted adults. Create regular opportunities to check in without making every conversation about mental health.
Sometimes support looks like having a serious conversation. Other times, it can be eating dinner together, going for a drive, attending an activity, or simply being present.
Connection doesn't replace professional mental health care when it's needed—but it can remind a struggling young person that they matter and have people beside them.
8. Connect Teens with Professional Mental Health Support
Parents and caregivers don't have to navigate teen suicide or mental health concerns alone.
Licensed mental health professionals can help assess a teen's needs, identify appropriate treatment, and provide ongoing support for both youth and families.
Early support matters. You don't need to wait until a teen reaches a crisis point to reach out for help.
Where Can Wisconsin Families Find Mental Health Support for Teens?
Supporting a teenager's mental health often takes more than one person. Parents, caregivers, schools, health care providers, and mental health professionals can work together to help young people feel supported and connected.
For more than 60 years, Rawhide Youth Services has worked alongside Wisconsin youth and families, providing compassionate mental and behavioral health support designed around each young person's needs.
Today, Rawhide's licensed therapists provide youth counseling and mental health services in communities throughout Wisconsin, helping young people work through challenges, develop healthy coping skills, strengthen relationships and build confidence for the future.
Seeking counseling doesn't mean a family has failed or that something is “wrong” with a teen. It means recognizing when additional support could help.
Learn more about Rawhide's youth counseling or schedule an appointment.
What to Do If a Teen is Suicidal
If a teenager tells you they are thinking about suicide, take them seriously and stay with them while you connect them with help.
Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential crisis support. If there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
You don't need to have the perfect words. Being willing to listen, ask the difficult question, and help a young person connect with support can be an important place to start.
