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Suicidal ideation is not a topic parents want to hear about, but the reality is that many teens face these thoughts every day. In LA County in 2023, 27% of emergency department visits were due to suicide attempts for those between the ages of 10 and 14. 37% of cases occurred among individuals between the ages of 15 and 19.
At BNI Treatment Centers, we understand how devastating it is to hear your teen express thoughts of suicide. Our program addresses every aspect of mental health and what led to these ideations, ensuring your teen has the knowledge and tools needed for positive mental health.
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What We Treat: Suicidal Ideation in Teens
Suicidal ideation refers to having thoughts about attempting suicide, death, or self-harm. These thoughts can arise at any time and may be intrusive. For adolescents, experiencing suicidal ideation is overwhelming and often confusing. They may hesitate to discuss their feelings with family and friends due to embarrassment or fear of causing concern.
At BNI Treatment Centers, we provide treatment for teen mental health conditions and address the underlying causes of their suicidal ideation.
How We Treat: BNI Treatment Centers’ Approach to Compassionate Care
Teen psychiatry requires a specialized approach that combines evidence-based therapies with a compassionate environment. At BNI Treatment Centers, our team is led by board-certified psychiatrists, as well as experts at various levels in the field. Our facility is intimate, ensuring each adolescent receives the individualized care they deserve.
The first step in the treatment process involves a thorough assessment, which provides our team with valuable insights into your teen’s past and the concerns they are currently facing.
From there, a treatment plan will be created. For some teens, a residential stay may be recommended, while others might benefit from partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient care. Regardless of the program your teen enters, they will receive the most comprehensive treatment available. This includes academic support to help them stay up-to-date on their studies.
Because we utilize a psychiatric approach, our team can provide medications as needed and address complex behavioral and mental health conditions. Suicidal ideation can occur for a multitude of reasons, and we will ensure all facets of your teen’s specific factors are understood. Our care team achieves this through science-backed practices, including psychotherapy, family involvement, and learning experiences such as gardening.
Understanding Suicidal Thoughts in Teens
Suicidal ideation among adolescents represents a complex and often misunderstood view of their overall mental health. It involves persistent thoughts of self-harm or death, and in some cases, may lead to suicide attempts.
Adolescents, due to ongoing neurobiological development and heightened emotional sensitivity, are particularly vulnerable to such thoughts. Unlike adults, teenagers often lack the coping mechanisms and life perspective necessary to manage overwhelming psychological pain. As a result, thoughts of suicide emerge not as a clear desire to end life, but rather as a solution to escape circumstances that feel unresolvable.
Adolescents are at a developmental stage of identity formation, navigating peer dynamics, and increased exposure to social comparison and academic pressure. The interaction of these stressors with underlying mental health vulnerabilities can significantly influence a teen’s perception of their ability to cope.
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Exploring What Leads Teens to Feel This Way
Adolescents experiencing suicidal thoughts often respond to a combination of psychological, social, and biological stressors. Suicidal ideation in teens typically does not arise from a single event, but from the cumulative burden of distress that feels overwhelming. Contributing factors may include untreated depression, exposure to trauma, persistent anxiety, bullying, identity confusion, or significant life changes such as divorce or relocation. Neurologically, teens are still developing their ability to regulate emotions and tolerate uncertainty, which can hinder problem-solving and increase impulsivity during emotional crises. Instead of a desire to die, many teens express a need to escape emotional pain they perceive as permanent or inescapable.
Signs Your Teen Might Be Having Thoughts of Suicide
Recognizing suicidal ideation can be difficult, particularly when teens attempt to hide distress through avoidance, distraction, or perfectionistic behaviors. Warning signs may be behavioral, verbal, or emotional, including:
- Withdrawal from friends, family, or usual activities
- Noticeable changes in sleep, appetite, or hygiene
- Expressions of hopelessness, feeling like a burden, or believing others would be “better off” without them
- Sudden calmness or mood improvement following a period of depression. This can be alarming, as the teen may have an actual plan
- Decline in academic performance or disengagement from school
- Increased irritability, agitation, or impulsivity
- Giving away possessions or discussing death
These signs, especially when accompanied by recent stressors such as a move or poor grade, warrant clinical evaluation by a mental health professional trained in adolescent suicide risk assessment.
When to Step In and Get Support
Any mention of suicidal thoughts — no matter if they are vague, joking, or specific — should be taken seriously. It is not necessary to wait for your teen to exhibit severe functional impairment before seeking help. If they share thoughts of self-harm or demonstrate signs of planning (collecting weapons or other means, saying or writing goodbyes, or giving away their possessions), immediate intervention is required.
Parents and caregivers should respond with calm, direct concern and seek professional assessment promptly. Early engagement with a licensed mental health provider can help stabilize symptoms and reduce the risk of escalation. BNI Treatment Centers is specifically trained in this area, providing the proper care needed for your teen to begin the healing process.
Treatment That Helps Teens Find Hope
Evidence-based treatment for suicidal ideation in adolescents is most effective when it combines individual therapy, family involvement, and appropriate psychiatric care. Modalities with strong clinical support include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Focuses on identifying and restructuring distorted thinking patterns that contribute to suicidal ideation.
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): A structured program that teaches distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, particularly effective for teens with self-harm or emotional dysregulation.
- Medication management: Antidepressants or mood stabilizers may be prescribed to treat underlying psychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.
- Family-based therapy: Involves parents in understanding risk factors, improving communication, and developing a safe, supportive home environment.
Treatment plans are personalized based on diagnosis, severity of symptoms, trauma history, and developmental needs. Multidisciplinary collaboration between school, family, and clinical providers improves treatment outcomes. BNI Treatment Centers specializes in this type of care, ensuring your teen stays focused and continues to thrive.
What the Healing Process Looks Like for Your Teen
The healing process for teens does not always look the same, as varying degrees of mental health affect treatment. In-depth psychological testing and assessments will provide the care team with answers to recommend next steps. Once a plan is in place, teens will begin comprehensive therapies to get to the root causes of their suicidal ideation. This could involve an undiagnosed mental health condition or adjustments to their current treatment regimen.
At BNI Treatment Centers, we ensure that your teen has the necessary tools and medications for mental well-being and healing.
How to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health Moving Forward
Research has indicated that parental involvement after the teen’s treatment improves overall outcomes of success. Parents who establish open communication and a safe environment were seen to have their teens externalize their problems rather than internalize. This shows the need for parental support after treatment is complete.
Ways parents can support their teen include:
- Maintaining open, judgment-free communication and validating their teen’s emotions
- Reducing stigma around mental health by modeling help-seeking behavior
- Monitoring for ongoing stressors or behavioral changes, particularly when first returning to school
- Participating in family therapy to better understand their teen’s needs
- Ensuring consistent follow-up care, medication adherence, and coordination with school counselors or therapists
Treatment for Suicidal Thoughts at BNI Treatment
Experiencing suicidal thoughts is overwhelming for both teens and parents, but there are options to treat them before they become extreme. The experts at BNI Treatment Centers approach mental health care with a psychiatrist-led philosophy, ensuring your teen receives the quality treatment they deserve.
Through therapies, medication management, and skill-building courses, your teen will have everything they need to begin healing their mental health.
BNI Treatment Centers has been serving teens throughout Southern California, helping them find their way to mental wellness. Our program specifically addresses concerns adolescents face, providing evidence-based modalities that are backed by research. Contact us today at (888) 522-1504 to learn more about our program offerings.
BNI Treatment Centers: Science-based, evidence-backed, compassion-led