DON'T ignore or downplay mental health problems. Almost all teens who complete suicide attempts have a diagnosable mental illness such as Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder.

DO educate yourself about the difference between a few bad days, a rough stretch of adolescence, and clinical depression. The mental health links in the Help Center are good places to start.

DON'T ignore or downplay substance abuse, especially cocaine or methamphetamine use. Many teens who complete suicide attempts have a history of substance abuse. Substance abuse disturbs mood and ruins impulse control.

DO educate yourself about the difference between normal adolescent experimentation and substance abuse. The substance abuse links in the Help Center are good places to start.

DON'T ignore warning signs or risk factors for suicide.

DO get help for your teen from mental health professionals. Check the Help Center on this website. 

DO remember your own need for help--parenting an at-risk teen can be exhausting and draining, and you need support, too.

DO stick with treatment even after the initial feeling of crisis has passed.

DON'T rush to act on media stories about possible increases in teen suicide due to antidepressant medications, or discontinue your teen's medication suddenly.

DO communicate with the prescribing doctor and keep follow-up appointments. Despite recent media focus, treating Major Depression or other psychiatric disorders can greatly reduce suicide risk if the medication and its effects are followed closely and carefully. The fact is, antidepressants are prescribed for at-risk teens, and the medications do not take effect immediately--treatment takes time. The longer a teen is on appropriate medication, the fewer mental health symptoms they have, and the greater the reduction in risk.

DON'T have guns in the home.

If a gun must be in the home, DO store the weapon unloaded and locked, with ammunition locked in a separate location. Make certain the teen has no access to either the weapon or the ammunition.