Recognizing warning signs of mental health issues can save young lives

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12-05-2025

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
How do you know if your child or teen is going through a mental health crisis and what should you do if you see a problem?
University of Alabama professor Abby Horton, a certified health and life coach and instructor in the Capstone College of Nursing, says communication is an important key for a young person's mental health and to help parents see warning signs.
"If you are concerned about their health overall, their mental health, their moodiness, you're noticing patterns that have changed, then have a conversation one-to-one. You can figure that out in your family dynamic, but have that conversation, ask open-ended questions, keep them talking. You know, figure out what is the main thing that's really causing them to be stressed, or to feel hopeless or whatever the case may be," Horton said.
Horton said there are signs a child or teen is experiencing a mental health issue, but seeing those signs requires a relationship.
"I think it's really important for us to notice patterns. And so for us to do that, we really have to know the person that kid, the teen, and know that their pattern is different," Horton said.
Here are some of the signs there could be a problem.
Speech patterns change. Your kid becomes more talkative than normal or less talkative than normal.
Changes in sleep patterns. This could be from a loss of sleep or sleeping more than normal.
Unusual moodiness, sadness, or hopelessness.
Talks or hints about death and/or suicide.
Giving away belongings.
Quitting activities that they have always enjoyed.
Horton said this is not a comprehensive list and parents, friends, and teachers who know the person well can detect problems and should not be afraid of addressing them. Horton said a common myth that worries parents is if they talk to their child about suicide, it might induce them to commit suicide. Horton said having a conversation about suicide is not going to harm the child but will open a door of communication to help them.
If a parent, friend, or teacher sees the danger signs, there are steps to take to get help for the person in need. If the crisis seems severe, the first step should be to call 911 in cases where a person's life is in danger. If the situation is less dire, the following steps can get the ball rolling to get help.
Start a conversation with the child or teen. Talk to their coaches, teachers and friends.
Contact mental health professionals in the school who can put the family in touch with appropriate resources and referrals.
Contact mental health providers in the community to set up doctors visits or visits to counselors.
Call 988 the suicide and crisis lifeline.
"Once you start that conversation, once you reach out to the school, oftentimes you're going to be surrounded by a community of support where they start helping you at the school, in the community, and they help form a plan that's going to work for that child or teenager," Horton said.
"It's so important for kids and teens to have a trusted adult they can reach out to when they have a challenge, or when they're having a mental health issue, because having someone the child or teen trust can help walk them through whatever they're facing is critical," Horton said.
"Hopefully it's a parent, but it might be a teacher or a coach. It might be someone in their church or community that can have a conversation where there's a previous relationship with that child or teen, and they kind of know that teen's behavior. They know maybe things that are going on in their life and they can help really tailor advice or mentoring or coaching to that particular individual," she said.
"You know, it's so important to realize what teens need, especially teens going through difficult circumstances, is someone to be willing to show them empathy, to be able to have conversations and let them know that it's OK to not be OK. It's OK to ask for help," Horton said.
Reach Gary Cosby Jr. at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Recognizing warning signs of mental health issues can save young lives