COMFORTABLE HERE HOPEFULLY THIS
SUMMER KNOWING THEY ALMOST
REACHED HERD IMMUNITY.
STEPHANIE?
>> ISA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>> NOW TO AN EXCLUSIVE NBC
STORY I REALLY HOPE YOU PAY
ATTENTION TO AND I’M BEGGING YOU
TO CARE ABOUT.
THE RISING NUMBER OF PEOPLE
COPING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS THIS MORNING, THERE’S
NEW EVIDENCE THAT IS TRUE EVEN
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.
THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT ARE
SHOWING UP IN EMERGENCY ROOMS
AFTER CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE OR
HARMING THEMSELVES IS GOING UP.
KATE SNOW JOINS US WITH MORE.
KATE, WHAT DID YOU FIND?
THIS IS SO DISTURBING.
>> IT IS SO DISTURBING, STEPH.
SO SUICIDE AMONG YOUNG KIDS IS
STILL NOT COMMON, TO BE CLEAR,
BUT MANY MORE KIDS ARE THINKING
ABOUT IT.
A RECENT STUDY OF 9-YEAR-OLDS
AND 10-YEAR-OLDS FOUND PARENTS
AND CAREGIVERS, WERE UNAWARE
THEIR CHILDREN HAD TRIED TO KILL
THEMSELVES IN 88% OF THE CASES.
HALF OF THEM DIDN’T EVEN KNOW
THEIR CHILDREN THOUGHT ABOUT
SUICIDE.
I WENT TO WISCONSIN TO TALK TO
ONE MOM WHO WANTED TO SHARE HER
STORY TO HELP OTHER FAMILIES.
>> THERE’S A LITTLE SWING BACK
OVER THAT WAY THAT SHE
ABSOLUTELY LOVED TO PLAY ON.
>> Reporter: LAST SUMMER BRANDY
WAS ABOUT TO TAKE HER DAUGHTER
CODY ON VACATION NEAR THEIR HOME
IN WISCONSIN.
>> AND ABOUT 4:00 THAT DAY SHE
CALLED ME AT WORK AND WE
FACETIMED.
SHE SAID MOM, CAN YOU FACETIME
ME?
SURE, KID.
SHE LOST A TOOTH.
>> Reporter: BUT WHEN BRANDY
WENT HOME, THE DOOR WAS OPEN AND
THE ONLY SIGN OF CODY WAS THE
FIRST NOTE.
>> IT WAS THE FIRST CRY FOR HELP
AND SHE WENT ALL THE WAY.
>> Reporter: AUTHORITIES FOUND
CODY’S BODY IN A NEARBY FIELD.
SHE WAS 10 YEARS OLD.
>> IT WAS A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM.
IT WAS THE LAST THING I WAS
THINKING WAS THAT SHE WAS GOING
TO TAKE HER OWN LIFE BECAUSE SHE
WOULDN’T -- THERE WAS NO SIGNS.
>> NONE OF IT MADE SENSE TO YOU?
>> NONE OF IT MADE SENSE.
>> Reporter: DEATH FROM SUICIDE
AMONG CHILDREN REMAINS RARE BUT
THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AGES 6 TO
12 WHO VISITED CHILDREN’S
HOSPITALS FOR SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
OR SELF-HARM HAS MORE THAN
DOUBLED SINCE 2016.
DR. MEGAN SHOT, HEAD PSYCHIATRIC
EMERGENCY SERVICES AT CHILDREN’S
NATIONAL HOSPITAL.
>> WHEN A CHILD ASKS FOR HELP OR
TELLS YOU THEY’RE STRUGGLING,
BELIEVE THEM AND HELP GET THEM
MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT.
>> Reporter: SIGNS PARENTS CAN
LOOK FOR IN YOUNG KIDS, GRADES
DROPPING, ANGER AND
IRRITABILITY, NOT WANTING TO GO
OUTSIDE.
AND WHILE DR. SHOT SAID IT’S
GOOD TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
HAS BEEN NORMALIZED, SHE’S
CONCERNED YOUNGER KIDS ARE MORE
EXPOSED NOW TO SUICIDE AND
SELF-HARM.
>> IF YOU SEE YOUR FRIEND
CUTTING OR TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU
MIGHT START THINKING ABOUT IT.
>> HAPPY NEW YEAR!
>> Reporter: AS A SINGLE MOM,
BRANDY HAD BEEN SO CLOSE WITH
CODY.
>> DO YOU THINK MAYBE SHE JUST
DID SOMETHING SUPER IMPULSIVE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK AT 10 YEARS OLD, THEY
CAN’T SEE PAST THE TIP OF THEIR
NOSE AND THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND
PERMANENCE.
>> Reporter: SHE’S EXPECTING A
BABY BOY NOW AND DECORATED HIS
NURSERY WITH SLOTHS, CODY’S
FAVORITE ANIMAL.
SHE’S PLEADING FOR FAMILIES TO
HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR
YOUNG KIDS.
>> BECAUSE IF I CAN BE CAUGHT
OFF GUARD AND I WAS SO INVOLVED
WITH MY DAUGHTER, IT WAS JUST ME
AND HER, IF I CAN BE CAUGHT OFF
GUARD, ANYBODY CAN.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I HAD BEAT
ALL OF THE ODDS AS A SINGLE
PARENT AND APPARENTLY THERE WAS
ONE THAT I MISSED.
>> KATE, THESE ARE NOT TROUBLED
TEENS.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT LITTLE KIDS.
MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK
CITY LOST A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY THIS
WEEK TO SUICIDE.
PARENTS, HOW DO WE TALK TO OUR
KIDS ABOUT THIS?
WE DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO
APPROACH IT?
>> YEAH, IT’S SO, SO HARD.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT 6 TO
12-YEAR-OLDS IN THE NUMBERS WE
WERE LOOKING AT.
LOOK, STEPH, HERE’S WHAT THE
EXPERTS HAVE TOLD ME, AND I’M
NOT AN EXPERT BUT I TALK TO LOTS
OF PSYCHOLOGISTS.
THEY SAY, FIRST OF ALL, FIND THE
SPACE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
IT’S OKAY TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS
AGE APPROPRIATELY ABOUT ISSUES
LIKE THIS.
YOU CAN ASK THEM IN THEIR OWN
LANGUAGE WORDS THAT THEY
UNDERSTAND LIKE, ARE YOU
THINKING ABOUT HURTING YOURSELF?
ARE YOU HAVING THOUGHTS THAT
WORRY YOU?
ARE YOU HAVING THOUGHTS THAT
MAKE YOU SCARED?
LANGUAGE LITTLE KIDS WILL
UNDERSTAND.
IT’S OKAY TO DO THAT.
IT’S EVEN OKAY TO MENTION
SUICIDE IF YOU THINK THAT MIGHT
BE SOMETHING YOUR CHILD
UNDERSTANDS.
THERE’S EVIDENCE, THERE’S
RESEARCH, STEPH, THAT THAT
DOESN’T CAUSE PEOPLE TO THEN
TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE.
TALKING ABOUT IT CAN ACTUALLY
REALLY HELP.
OBVIOUSLY, GET PROFESSIONAL
HELP.
I WANT TO MENTION WE HAD ON
"NIGHTLY NEWS" ON THEIR FACEBOOK
PAGE A LIST OF RESOURCES.
I WILL REPOST IT ON MY FACEBOOK.