Young people and suicide

[Tipsntoes]

I'm sad and worried. I've just heard that a peer of DS1's has died through suicide. That's two 16yos in this neighbourhood in the last 3 months.

It's unbearably sad for the families. I don't know them well, but well enough to stop and pass the time of day if I saw the children or their parents in the street.

Is there any way to make any sense of it, or (selfishly) to spot the signs in your own children? These were both lovely kids, popular, nice families, one super talented at sport, the other died only weeks after receiving outstanding GCSE results.

What's wrong with "the system" that we can't protect these children?

I worry too.

There is too much pressure on kids through the constant testing and need to achieve at schools. When I was at school it was ok to do 'ok', whereas now kids are pushed and pushed to stretch themselves to the limits of their capabilities. Then they've got uni, and the thought of massive amounts of debt, followed by the probability they won't own a home but pay through the nose for insecure rented properties. The govt treats young people like shit- there is very little in the way of a social security safety net if things go wrong til they are 25. Then the social media/how you look pressures...and the fact that child and adolescent mental health services are in an absolutely shocking state and completely inadequate, at a time when they are needed most.

I think with the internet it's also easier to research which methods work...e.g. when I first tried at 16 and failed then failed again, it was due to lack of knowledge.

Lots of teenagers round our way have died too. There should be some sort of national outcry.