This guide is for parents and caregivers who are supporting a young person experiencing suicidal thoughts. It outlines common methods used in suicide attempts and offers practical tips for reducing access to potentially lethal items in the home.
Taking steps to secure or remove these items can save lives and create a safer environment for healing.
Poisoning (Overdose/Ingestion)
Overdoses are by far the most common method of attempt.
Safety Tips
- Remove or lock up all poisonous agents, such as medicines and household or garden chemicals.
- Keep only a very limited supply of poisons in your home and store them in a lock box.
- Lock and monitor all medicines, prescription and over-the- counter, of all family members in the home.
- Control and manage your child’s medicines by giving them at prescribed times and watching your child take it.
Youth will overdose on any medicine they can get, even if it is not theirs. All medicines should be accounted for at all times.
Youth should not control their medicine at this time.
Sharps and Strangulation
Sharps can cause a unique temptation for youth struggling with self-harm ideation.
Safety Tips
- Remove or lock up all sharps and potential strangulation items.
- Limit the number of accessible knives to make it easier to notice missing items.
Think about alternatives to problematic items.
- Electric razors rather than razors
- Items with limited cords
- Check-in and check-out system
Completely remove the most dangerous items!
Firearms
Most youth who die by firearm suicide use a family member’s gun/rifle.
Do you own a gun? Does your child have access to a gun? Think about all access your child might have, such as grandparents, hunting buddies, and friends.
Safety Tips
Other safe storage strategies below for sharps, fire starters, weapons, medicines, and chemicals.
- Use locked storage for hazardous materials or weapons.
- Choose a careful hiding place.
- Store the key or combination in a separate place.
- Assume your child knows where the key or box is hidden.
- Change the keypad combinations.
- Store lethal combinations, such as bleach and ammonia or firearms and ammunition, in separate places.
Guns should be stored locked and unloaded, preferably in a lock box or gun safe.
The ammunition should be locked and stored in a separate place.
Safe Storage
Other safe storage strategies below for sharps, fire starters, weapons, medicines, and chemicals.
- Use locked storage for hazardous materials or weapons.
- Choose a careful hiding place.
- Store the key or combination in a separate place.
- Assume your child knows where the key or box is hidden.
- Change the keypad combinations.
- Store lethal combinations, such as bleach and ammonia or firearms and ammunition, in separate places.
Remember
The main goal of restrictions is to lock or remove uneeded items from the home.