“We are living in truly disturbing times, characterized by profound confusion and disorientation.”  With these words,  Francisco Villar Cabeza, a clinical psychologist specializing in the prevention of suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents, begins his book, How Screens Devour Our Children  (Herder, 2023). In it, he speaks of living in times of “tiredness, indigestion, nausea, fatigue, boredom, sadness, dissatisfaction, and death wishes.”

Francisco Villar is the coordinator of the suicidal behaviour program for minors at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona.  

“A teenager doesn’t just wake up one day with suicidal intentions. It’s not something that happens spontaneously; it’s always more insidious than impulsive. Typically, the person experiences changes in their attitude, as if they’re preparing for it: their mood begins to decline, they begin to see a negative view of themselves…” explains Pedro Neira, psychologist and head of the psychology department at the López Ibor Clinic, on World Suicide Prevention Day. 

Sometimes, says Neira, “parents don’t talk about suicide with a teenager because they’re afraid of hitting a trigger. That’s why it’s important to clarify that it’s not about taking the act of suicide itself, but rather the emotional distress that drives the child to the impulse to take their own life.”

This is about prevention in a country where, during 2024, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), seven children under 15 committed suicide (three boys and three girls). Between the ages of 15 and 29, the number rose to 309 (235 of them boys, compared to 74 girls). The professionals at Clínica  López Ibor remind us that suicide is preventable and that talking about it responsibly saves lives. This year, the international motto for Suicide Prevention Day is  “Change the Narrative.” The goal is to move from invisibility to the recognition of emotional pain as a legitimate part of the human experience. Experts insist that preventing suicide is not only a healthcare task, but also a social one: it requires dialogue, empathy, and support networks accessible to all.

“It’s not just about talking the attempt or the act, but about the reason for that act“, insists this specialist, who stresses that, in the end, suicide “is a symptom of something. It doesn’t come as an impulse alone; it usually stems from a previous malaise. It’s a symptom or consequence of a mental health problem.” That’s why, he continues, it’s important in this process, “that we know how to differentiate between the emotional distress we all experience, because feeling bad is part of life, part of a larger problem.”

How can parents at home detect a problem?  “There’s usually a prior social isolation, a loss of interest in leisure activities and interests or things that were previously enjoyed. Sometimes, hopeless or derogatory phrases may appear, such as: ‘I’m worthless, maybe it would be nice to disappear…’  At times, they exhibit risky behaviours, which are almost self-harming, such as politeness, substance use… If the adolescent is still in school, there may be a drop in academic performance…  All those feelings of hopelessness, of the meaning of life, when they begin to affect parents or friends, should put us on alert.” It’s true, she acknowledges, “that adolescents have periods of existential crisis, but this is different. The difference lies in that these behaviours are not something fluctuating, but rather persistent over time.”

Thus, Neira insists,  “it’s good for us as parents to try to talk to them about the issue, but always try to understand where the discomfort is coming from. If they don’t want to talk to us, invite them to do so with friends, someone they trust, or another family member with whom they feel comfortable and can open up differently, or create a safer space where they can talk about how they feel.”