What to Do If Your Child Is in Crisis

What is a Crisis?

A mental health crisis is when your child is at risk of harming themselves or others, or if their emotions and behavior seem extreme and out of control. 

Warning signs of a mental health crisis may include: 

• Expressing suicidal thoughts, either through explicit statements such as “I want to die” or more vague statements such as “I don’t want to be here anymore” 
• Making threats to harm others or themselves 
• Engaging in self-injurious behavior, such as cutting or burning 
• Expressing severe agitation and aggression, including physical aggression, destruction of property, hostility, etc. 
• Experiencing hallucinations or delusions 
• Isolating themselves from friends and family 

How to Take Action

Once you suspect that your child is in crisis, you will have some decisions to make. How you proceed depends on whether they are in immediate danger and the resources available in your community. 

Immediate Danger

If you feel that your child’s life or someone else’s life is in danger, this is an emergency — you must take immediate action to keep everyone safe. Call 911 (or a local crisis line) or go to your nearest emergency room. Under no circumstances should you leave them alone.  

NAMI can help your family prepare for potential crises.

Download our guide to Navigating a Mental Health Crisis to make your crisis plan. The guide also includes three templates to help you document your plan.  

Get the guide

No Immediate Danger

If you are confident that your child is not at immediate risk, and that you can manage the situation, consider the following steps. Keep in mind that even if it’s not a physical “emergency,” it is still an urgent situation that should be addressed as quickly as possible. 

• Create a safe space for them to talk about their feelings and actively listen. It’s ok to ask questions, but most importantly, reassure them that you are here to support and help them. 
• If your child is already receiving mental health treatment, get in touch with their psychiatrist or therapist. They can provide guidance on what to do next, incorporating their knowledge of your child and the current situation. 
• If your child is not currently receiving treatment, they will need a mental health assessment. Connecting with mental health services for children can be a challenge, but primary care physicians are often able to provide screenings and referrals. 
• Connect with a hotline or text line that provides crisis intervention services and resources, such as  the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 
• Proactively create a crisis plan to determine your plan of action if your child’s mental health ever escalates to an emergency.  

Crisis Hotlines

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (the Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) has crisis workers to support you and are available 24/7. SAMHSA also has a 24 hour treatment helpline that can be reached at 800-662-HELP.