Prioritizing the well-being of our youth is critical. At Connecticut Children’s, we are committed to supporting your child’s mental health. We offer a range of initiatives, resources, and support services designed to address these challenges. From counseling and therapeutic programs to educational workshops, our goal is to provide comprehensive care and support for your child’s mental health.
Suicide Prevention and Screening at Connecticut Children’s
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults aged 10 to 34. An alarming statistic from the Centers For Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported that over 1 in 5 high school students have seriously considered attempting suicide, and 1 in 10 have attempted it.
At Connecticut Children’s, we prioritize your child’s overall health, including their mental well-being. We are dedicated to providing hope and support to those struggling with suicidal thoughts. One of the ways we do this is through universal suicide screening in our emergency department. In 2023, we found that 18% of our patients screened positive for suicide risk.
To date, we've administered screenings to over 70,000 patients ages 10 and older, and we are continuing to expand this practice to our inpatient floors. Our staff’s exceptional compliance rates, surpassing 90%, highlights our commitment to addressing and reducing suicide risk among children. We are here to support your child’s mental health every step of the way.
How to Talk with Younger Children about Mental Health
We feel emotions before we have the words to describe them as small children. That’s why little kids can often have BIG feelings! Almost 1 in 4 preschool children experience trouble with their emotions and behavior. Starting conversations about feelings with children at a younger age can help them develop healthier mechanisms for expressing their mental health as adolescents, teens, and young adults.
Take a deep breath. To help our children we have to be calm, cool and collected ourselves. Check-in with yourself and take a break if needed. They need us to be mentally and emotionally available to support them through all kinds of feelings.
Label Feelings. To help our children we have to meet them where they are. When they are very young, talk with them and help label their feelings. This will teach them the words to communicate how they are feeling. Feelings are more abstract concepts compared to colors, numbers, and letters so be patient with them as they learn!
Acknowledge and process together. When your child has big feelings, it’s important to acknowledge them. Take a moment to take their perspective. What seems like a tantrum about wanting a toy at the store can feel to them like what not getting a job that you applied to feels for us. It’s a big deal to them. Once we see it from their perspective we can then figure out how to support them; it could be with a hug or it could be with some problem-solving together.
Role model and practice healthy coping skills. Children learn by copying what they see. Talk them through how to use some healthy strategies when dealing with your stress in a child-friendly way. For example, if you drop or spill something, you can label it as a frustrating experience and talk about how you will help yourself feel better. You can then practice these strategies with them before the moment that they will need them.
Guide them through the moment. Let them know that feelings can be stinky sometimes. We don’t all love how we feel all of the time. Let them know that we are more than our feelings and that bad feelings will pass. Pay attention to how your child works. Do they need a hug? Or do they need some space? Let them know you are there and invite them to try some of the coping skills they have already practiced.
Create a safe space and time. Talking about feelings with children means that you are giving them time, space, and attention to talk about their feelings. As children get older, this is really important. This is also about not just what you say, but how you say it! (So make sure to put your phone down and show that you are giving them the time and space for this). Plan for this space. How, when and where do you want safe space to check in? At dinner time? During car rides? Before bedtime?
Get help. If this is starting to feel overwhelming or too much, talk with your child’s primary care provider. It’s okay to work with a therapist and there are a lot of evidence-based types of therapy to help support the emotional and mental health of young children.
Need more tips? Check out Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health. Here you can find some tips, activity guides, and other resources for young children!
Continued Support for Families
If your child is diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition, or screens at risk for suicide, we offer supportive services like Care Coordination. This free service from Connecticut Children’s connects you with community experts, nurses, and clinical social workers who specialize in guiding families through behavioral health systems. Whether your child has been recently hospitalized or is beginning to show signs of depression or anxiety and is considering therapy, we collaborate with your resources, insurance, and community to find the best support services for your family.
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training Opportunity
A study called “Training to Establish an Alliance Centered on Hope” (TEACH), aims to offer hope to those at-risk of suicide. TEACH offers a bystander intervention training, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), to individuals across Connecticut Children’s and throughout the state. QPR teaches three essential steps to potentially save a life from suicide, turning participants into "gatekeepers" within their communities. From this training, participants learn about common causes of suicidal behavior, recognize warning signs, and gain skills to seek help for themselves or someone in crisis.
If you are interested, please contact TEACH at teachQPR [at] connecticutchildrens.org or sign up for an upcoming training here.
Sponsored by: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration