Sometimes it isn’t easy to realize that a teenager is suffering. They may keep going to school, hanging out with friends, scrolling on their phone, or answering that everything is “fine.” But behind that apparent normalcy there can be anguish, frustrations, or a sense of loneliness that are hard to put into words.
On World Suicide Prevention Day, observed every year on September 10, the numbers bring the topic back into sharp focus.
According to reports from the Criminal Policy Observatory and the Ministry of Health, Argentina records a rate of 11.8 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest in its history.
And there is a piece of data that is especially worrying: the phenomenon is affecting increasingly younger ages, and adolescents are among the groups with the highest incidence.
Facing this reality, perhaps the most important question isn’t merely what the statistics say, but something much closer: how are our adolescents living, and how much do we really know about what they’re going through?
Adolescents under pressure: what lies behind the distress
Growing up has never been easy. Adolescence is a period of change, identity seeking, the need to belong, and intense emotions.
But today there are additional pressures.
Social networks constantly showcase perfect bodies, seemingly happy lives, travel, successes, ideal friendships, and conflict-free relationships. Comparison can be perpetual, especially at an age when self-esteem is still being built.
Bullying, discrimination, exclusion, academic difficulties, or family conflicts can also appear.
And there is a paradox inherent to these times: young people can be hyperconnected and, at the same time, feel profoundly lonely.
“We are facing a collective problem—mental health, physical health, and public policy as well. Its management is multifactorial and requires shared responsibility,” explains the Mag. Soledad Dawson, psychologist and director of the Master’s in Bonds, Families and Sociocultural Diversity at the Hospital Italiano University of Buenos Aires.
What adults can do
When a child, nephew, grandchild, or student is going through a tough moment, the initial impulse is often to want to fix it.
But it isn’t always about finding an immediate answer.
“Many times, when faced with a teenager’s suffering, we try to solve the problem for them, while it is also necessary to accompany them so they can learn to navigate difficulties,” says Dawson.
Being available can be more important than having the perfect words.
Listen without judgment. Ask how they’re doing. Do not minimize what they feel. Allow for silence. Show genuine interest in their world.
Also accompany them when they need professional help.
The specialist also emphasizes the importance of boundaries: clear, explained, and discussed rules can provide containment and help them understand that frustration is also part of life.
Talking about what hurts
For a long time, there was the belief that suicide was better left unspoken.
Today specialists insist on the opposite: being able to talk about it responsibly can open a door to asking for help.
It isn’t about interrogating or intruding, but about creating a space where a teenager can feel that what they are going through can be spoken of without fear of being judged.
And that requires time, availability, and attention.
“We shouldn’t think in terms of guilt,” explains Dawson. “Shared responsibility lets us think about what we can transform across families, schools, institutions, health systems, the community, and the state.”
The importance of reconnecting
In the midst of busy schedules, smartphones, activities, and obligations, reclaiming simple spaces for togetherness can be a powerful tool.
A shared meal. A walk. A drive. A conversation before sleep. Time away from screens.
There’s no need to turn every moment into a deep talk.
Often, trust is built in those small everyday moments that allow someone to have a place to turn to when something really hurts.
From the Hospital Italiano University, prevention is noted as needing available adults, families capable of asking for help, schools prepared to intervene, and institutions that can provide support.
Because no adolescent should feel they have to go through a moment of suffering alone.
Seeking help is also caring
If someone is going through an emotional crisis or there is a risk to their well-being, it is important to seek professional help and not leave them alone.
In Argentina, there is the national line 0800-999-0091, aimed at guidance and support for mental health emergencies around the clock.
You can also contact the Suicide Assistance Center by calling 135 from CABA and Greater Buenos Aires or (011) 5275-1135 from other locales.
In an emergency or immediate risk, you should seek medical care or call emergency services.
Speaking, listening, and asking for help do not by themselves resolve all problems. But they can be the beginning of something fundamental: that the person who is suffering knows they do not have to endure it alone.
