Did you know that someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes in the United States? While talking to your kids about mental health may feel intimidating, it’s a healthy habit to get into. With September being National Suicide Prevention Month (NSPM), there’s never a better time than now to check in on your kids and make sure they know how important their mental health is.
Not sure how to talk with your kids about their mental health? Here are my top tips to have a successful conversation!
Acknowledge the Importance of Mental Health
Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet it’s often overlooked in family conversations. Just like we make time to take our children to the doctor to make sure their physical health is in order, it’s important that we check in on their mental health as well. This can be done either with a mental health professional or just in family conversations.
By letting your kids know how important mental health is, you can help them with their day-to-day struggles and let them know they are never alone.
Be Open and Honest
Opening up about your own struggles with mental health can help foster an environment where everyone feels safe to share. Feel free to share age-appropriate experiences—such as feeling sad about a recent loss or struggling at work—to help get the conversation started. It’s okay to be honest about not having all the answers. The more genuine you are in your conversation, the more permission your kids will have to also be honest and genuine about their struggles.
Offer Resources and Support
Check your local community for mental health resources and bring these tools to your family conversation. Don’t forget to include 988 and 911 in your conversation as emergency resources. While 988 is a great tool for mental health crises, it’s important to also remind kids they can call 911 in an emergency as well—given that only about 10% of mental health crisis calls are handled by 988 currently. The other 90% are handled by 911.
It can bring peace of mind to know that Emergency Medical Dispatchers (EMDs) across the nation are receiving special training to handle mental health calls with Priority Dispatch’s Protocol 41: Caller in Crisis. This tool is revolutionizing 911 suicide prevention efforts by providing powerful training for EMDs to help them de-escalate distressed callers and keep their own mental health in check as well.
In Conclusion
Talking to your kids about mental health doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By acknowledging its importance, being open and honest, and reminding kids about emergency resources like 988 and 911, you can build a strong foundation for communication and trust in your family—not just during National Suicide Prevention Month, but year-round.
No comments:
Post a Comment