When Should a Child Dealing with Suicide Grief See a Health Care Professional?
The signs you need to pay attention to when caring for a child dealing with suicide grief depend on the child’s stage of development. Children experience and express things differently than adults. Don’t hesitate to consult a healthcare professional to find out if your child needs psychological support.
If your child shows signs of psychological distress, suicidal thoughts, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional immediately.
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Signs that you need to seek professional help
Grief reactions in children usually diminish within 6 to 12 months. If the following signs are still present after 6 to 12 months, your child may need to see a healthcare professional for a psychological assessment:
- Experiencing strong emotions associated with the death
- Not engaging in exploratory behaviour (staying close to their parent(s),refusing to try new things, ceasing to interact with their environment and new people)
- Becoming very anxious when separated from their parent(s)
- Returning to behaviours associated with an earlier phase of development (e.g., having toilet accidents or tantrums in situations where they had stopped having them)
- Complaining about physical problems with no physical cause (e.g., stomach aches and headaches)
- Having a negative perception of the deceased person
- Having nightmares
- Being afraid of being around other people
- Being afraid to go to school
- Increasing substance use
- Joining a new friend group that engages in risky behaviour
- Developing suicidal thoughts
- Engaging in self-harm
- Developing sleep problems
- Developing eating problems
Where to find professional help for a child
- If you need help right away, you can contact a suicide.ca counsellor, call Quebec’s suicide prevention hotline at 1-866-277-3553 or call the suicide prevention centre in your area.
- If you wish to obtain professional care for your child, contact your local community services centre (CLSC).
- If you have insurance or sufficient financial resources, you can also contact the Quebec Order of Psychologists to find a professional able to meet your needs.
Learn more about suicide grief and children
Our “Telling a Child about a Death by Suicide” and “Supporting a Child Dealing with Suicide Grief” pages can help you find the information you’re looking for.
If you need help yourself because you’ve lost a loved one, our site also contains information and advice to help you cope with suicide grief.
