Lifeline Chat is a National Number in the USA for help with suicide ideation. Call Today for immediate services and counseling.

Lifeline Chat is a service of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, connecting individuals with counselors for emotional support and other services via web chat. All chat centers in the Lifeline network are accredited by CONTACT USA. Lifeline Chat is available 24/7 across the U.S.

Suicide is when a teen causes his or her own death on purpose. Before attempting to take his or her own life, a teen may have thoughts of wanting to die. This is called suicidal ideation. He or she may also have suicidal behavior. That’s when a teen is focused on doing things that cause his or her own death.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 15 to 24. The CDC reports that:

• Boys are 4 times more likely to die from suicide than girls.
• Girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys.
• Guns are used in more than half of youth suicides.

The teen years are a stressful time. They are filled with major changes. These include body changes, changes in thoughts, and changes in feelings. Strong feelings of stress, confusion, fear, and doubt may influence a teen’s problem-solving and decision-making. He or she may also feel a pressure to succeed.

For some teens, normal developmental changes can be very unsettling when combined with other events, such as:

• Changes in their families, such as divorce or moving to a new town
• Changes in friendships
• Problems in school
• Other losses

These problems may seem too hard or embarrassing to overcome. For some, suicide may seem like a solution.

A teen’s risk for suicide varies with age, gender, and cultural and social influences. Risk factors may change over time. They are:

• One or more mental or substance abuse problems
• Impulsive behaviors
• Undesirable life events or recent losses, such as the death of a parent
• Family history of mental or substance abuse problems
• Family history of suicide
• Family violence, including physical, sexual, or verbal or emotional abuse
• Past suicide attempt
• Gun in the home
• Imprisonment
• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, such as from family or peers, in the news, or in fiction stories

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