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 * Client Login
 * Donate
 * 
 * Afrikaans Albanian Amharic Arabic Armenian Azerbaijani Basque Belarusian
   Bengali Bosnian Bulgarian Catalan Cebuano Chichewa Chinese (Simplified)
   Chinese (Traditional) Corsican Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Esperanto
   Estonian Filipino Finnish French Frisian Galician Georgian German Greek
   Gujarati Haitian Creole Hausa Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hmong Hungarian Icelandic
   Igbo Indonesian Irish Italian Japanese Javanese Kannada Kazakh Khmer Korean
   Kurdish (Kurmanji) Kyrgyz Lao Latin Latvian Lithuanian Luxembourgish
   Macedonian Malagasy Malay Malayalam Maltese Maori Marathi Mongolian Myanmar
   (Burmese) Nepali Norwegian Pashto Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian
   Russian Samoan Scottish Gaelic Serbian Sesotho Shona Sindhi Sinhala Slovak
   Slovenian Somali Spanish Sundanese Swahili Swedish Tajik Tamil Telugu Thai
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   English

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 * SOS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
   
   Your child’s school uses SOS Signs of Suicide to teach suicide prevention to
   students. Learn more about the program and resources available here.
   
   

Home >SOS Signs of Suicide for Parents and Caregivers

 

 


WHAT TO KNOW

SOS is an evidence-based youth suicide prevention program that teaches middle
and high school students how to identify warning signs of suicide and
depression.

Trusted by thousands of schools across the country, SOS can be delivered in a
single class period and encourages students to ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) if
they are worried about themselves or a friend.




Suicide can be a difficult topic. For support, please call or text the Suicide
and Crisis Lifeline at 988 >




PROGRAM OVERVIEW

 * Videos & Classroom Discussion
   
   Students will watch a series of brief educational videos and participate in a
   guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are
   concerned about themselves or a friend.
   
   All videos contain age-appropriate dramatizations of students demonstrating
   common signs of depression and suicide along with the right and wrong ways to
   respond using the ACT technique (Acknowledge, Care, Tell). Younger students
   watch dramatizations, roundtable discussion, and learn from experts, while
   older students also see real-life stories from young adults who have sought
   help and who share their journeys of recovery.
   
   Preview the Middle School and High School Student Videos.

 * Depression Screening
   
   SOS uses mental health screening as an educational tool that teaches students
   about the signs of depression and/or suicide risk. The screening does not
   provide a diagnosis. Once students answer the questions, they read
   help-seeking advice based on their answers. If they are experiencing signs of
   depression or suicide risk, the form encourages them to seek help from
   trusted adults. 
   
   Sometimes adults are concerned that asking students about suicide could
   increase their distress or cause suicidal thoughts. Years of research on
   school-based screening for suicide risk has shown no increased risk for
   students. In fact, high–risk students appeared less distressed following
   screening (Gould et al., 2005) and were more likely to receive mental health
   treatment (Gould et al., 2009). Screening youth for suicide risk is a safe
   and effective component of school-based suicide prevention.  

 * Exit Slip & Follow Up
   
   After the lesson, all students are asked to complete an exit slip indicating
   whether they would like to speak to an adult about any concerns for
   themselves or a friend. Schools are encouraged to follow their procedures to
   ensure timely follow-up for any students seeking support. 

 * Continuing the Conversation at Home
   
   We encourage you to talk to your child about their suicide prevention
   education. Through SOS, students are learning to ACT: Acknowledge signs of
   suicide, show their friend they Care, and Tell a trusted adult.
   
   It can be tough to bring up the topic of depression and suicide, but these
   conversations are essential. Ask your child about what they are learning in
   school and encourage them to come to you with any concerns for themselves or
   their friends. You can help protect your child and their friends by starting
   a conversation about mental health today and keeping it going throughout the
   years.


WHAT YOU CAN DO

 * Reduce Risk
   
   Mental health: Depression and other mental health concerns can impact anyone,
   including children and teens. While most teens who experience depression will
   never consider suicide, when depression goes untreated, some teens may feel
   so hopeless they consider suicide. Unfortunately, many teens and adults
   suffer for years without getting treatment. Seek support for your child as
   soon as you become concerned. 
   
   Substance use: Many teens turn to alcohol and/or drug use to try to cope with
   negative emotions. Talk to your child about the dangers of using alcohol or
   drugs to cope with negative emotions. Seek support for your child if you see
   signs of substance use. 
   
   Self-injury: Non-suicidal self-injury is when someone hurts themselves on
   purpose without the intention of dying. Though it is different from a suicide
   attempt, it is a serious concern and can increase someone’s risk for suicide.
   Seek professional help for self-injury immediately. 
   
   Access to guns: Suicidal crises are often temporary but access to a gun makes
   it easier to follow through in an instant. If you have a gun in your home,
   ensure it is safely locked and unloaded- and that your child does not know
   the code. Lock and store ammunition separately. If there is concern that a
   member of the household could be at risk of suicide, storing the gun outside
   the home – with a friend or a family member who is licensed to have a firearm
   – will greatly decrease the chances of a family member using the weapon in a
   moment of despair. 
   
   Populations at elevated risk: Though no one is immune from feeling depressed
   or suicidal, certain communities face increased risk including suicide loss
   survivors, people experiencing homelessness, individuals with disabilities,
   and LGBTQ+ youth who face rejection. Provide increased support for teens who
   identify in any of these groups.  

 * Spot the Signs
   
   Sometimes a teen’s words or behaviors give clues that they are thinking about
   suicide. Teens may also show signs to friends or teachers that you aren’t
   seeing at home. Take any concerns seriously. You may notice: 
   
    * Major changes in appearance, eating, or sleep 
    * Extreme withdrawal from friends and family 
    * Increased anger, agitation, or risky behavior (including alcohol or drug
      use) 
    * Sounding hopeless, trapped, or overwhelmed 
    * Talk of death or wanting to kill themselves 

 * Talk to Your Child
   
   If you have concerns for your child, the first step is to start a
   conversation, and then listen without judgement. Often when teens are
   struggling, they feel disconnected from the people who love them or fear that
   they might get in trouble. You can say, “I’ve noticed some big changes in
   you. How are you?” You can show your support by saying, “It’s okay to feel
   this way. I’m here for you.”
   
   If they give any indication that they are thinking about suicide, don’t
   hesitate to ask directly. Asking about suicide will not put the idea in their
   head. Instead, it will show them that you really see their pain and are not
   afraid to hear the truth. “When things get this tough, have you ever thought
   about ending your life?” No matter how your child answers, show your support
   and keep the conversation going. The ACT message applies to you too.
   
    * Acknowledge signs of suicide in your child
    * Care: show your child that you can listen and support them
    * Tell someone; reach out to get your child the help they need
   
    
   
   There are many pathways to healing. Most people thinking about suicide are
   struggling with a mental health condition like depression. With professional
   help, people begin to feel much better. But it can be hard for a teen who is
   struggling to ask for help. Be your child’s advocate. You can start by
   reaching out to their pediatrician or school counselor. Call or text the
   Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free 24/7 support.

 * Parent & Caregiver Resources
   
   SOS Resources for Parents & Caregivers:
   
    * SOS for Parents Handout
    * SOS for Parents Handout in Spanish
   
    
   
   About Youth Depression and Suicide
   
    * Teens share what depression felt like for them. Experts talk about the
      warning signs of depression and suicide in adolescents. Watch the video.
   
    
   
   Elli’s Story: Youth Depression from her Parents’ Perspective
   
    * Elli tells the story of her struggle with depression, self-harm, and
      suicide. Her best friend, Mikayla, recounts how telling her own parent
      about her fears for Elli helped save her life. Watch the video.
   
    

> “We have seen the SOS program help students because it empowers students to
> say something when they are concerned about a friend.
> 
> This has happened multiple times. The program saves lives."
> 
> High School Principal






THE EVIDENCE BEHIND SOS

Since the program’s inception, researchers have assessed the effectiveness of
SOS Signs of Suicide by conducting several randomized controlled trials – an
evaluation known as the “gold standard” of research studies.

SOS has demonstrated an improvement in students’ knowledge and adaptive
attitudes about suicide risk and depression.

It has also shown a 64% reduction in self-reported suicide attempts.

Read More





HAVE QUESTIONS?

Each district has their own policies, guidelines, and resources, so please
contact your school directly with any questions about how SOS will be
facilitated in your community.


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