Parents should discuss depression, anxiety and even suicide with kids: experts

Parents should have proactive conversations around mental health and suicide with kids, some experts suggest, because there is not enough talk around these issues.

Parents should have proactive conversations around mental health and suicide with kids, some experts suggest, because they say there isn’t enough talk about these issues.

According to the Government of Canada website, around 11 people die by suicide each day, with around 4,000 deaths by suicide taking place per year. One-third of these deaths are among those 45-59 years old.

The government also states that “suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults (15-34 years).”

READ MORE: Teachers say social media is ‘hurting’ students — but their jobs have also gotten harder

“If you actually look and dig a little bit deeper into that data, it’s the leading cause of non-accidental death. So, it’s outpacing most other causes of death,” Mark Henick, a mental health strategist based in Toronto, said on the Roy Green Show on Nov. 18 — also the day for International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (ISOSLD).

“More people die by suicide around the world than murder and war combined. But we talk about those things every day and we still don’t talk enough about suicide,” he added.

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day (ISOSLD) takes place every year in mid-November, where “those who are impacted by suicide loss can find comfort, remember loved ones, and share stories of loss, healing, and hope” through special events, according to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention’s website.

Henick is one of those people who have been impacted, having had suicidal thoughts when he was 12 years old.