How can I support adolescents who are experiencing suicide ideation?

At SafeSide Office Hours, we brainstormed effective communication and intervention strategies in various counselling and support scenarios. Here are some strategies we discussed: 

  • Understanding the Situation and Struggles: Suicidal ideation in adolescents is a complex issue, influenced by psychological, social, and biological factors. Ask open-ended questions and listen for root causes and drivers of the circumstance and ideation. This can help prioritize what to focus on and address to help relieve suffering. 
  • Creating a Safe and Trusting Environment: Establishing a safe, non-judgmental space for adolescents to express their feelings is crucial. Active listening and showing genuine concern can help in building trust.
  • Strengths and Protective Factors: Start conversations focusing on strengths and protective factors when using the SafeSide Framework. This can include building rapport by asking about what brings them joy, or used to bring them joy.  
  •  Radical Empathy: In previous Office Hours, Tony talked about  "looking for the shovel in the room" as one way to show radical empathy and hope. Here’s how it works:
    •  When a person feels overwhelmed or trapped, instead of looking at the walls and circumstances trapping them, look for the “shovel” that can help them dig out. For example, someone’s shovel could be interests, supportive people, positive aspects in their life, times they felt successful, or a recent positive experience. Once identified, these “shovels” can be used as a start to dig out of the overwhelming or hopeless feelings they may be experiencing.
  • Connection to Resources: Adolescents experiencing suicidal thinking need support. Explore with the youth and their family what additional resources may be helpful, make those referrals with a warm handover whenever possible, and follow up to be sure the connections stuck.  
  • Professional Support and Therapy: A solution-focused therapy approach was raised as especially helpful when working with youth. This involves targeting current problems, stressors and circumstances through problem-solving, building on strengths and resources towards solutions.  Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) has also been found to reduce self-harm and suicidal ideation for adolescents (Kothgassner et al., 2021; Busby et al., 2020).