Could you spot the warning signs of suicide? When a loved one dies by suicide, thoughts of “If only I’d known” or “Could I have done something?” will plague family and friends.
For parents Mark and Summer Bushman from Roanoke, hindsight is a grievous weight they bear every day. On March 21st, 2025, their ten-year-old daughter Autumn took her own life after months of relentless bullying at her school. Her parents had noticed subtle changes in her behavior leading to her death, which they now realize were warning signs of Autumn’s state of mind and ultimate intention.
They are using their grief to help others spot the signs before it’s too late.
Mark Bushman recalls how Autumn loved to wear vibrant colors that matched her personality. She especially loved wearing pink, but in the weeks leading to her death, she told her mother she hated the color. In the last weeks of her life, she wore dark, earthy tones. Mark said,
“In hindsight, maybe she wanted to fly under the radar.”
Our clothes reflect our character and mood. When we’re happy, we choose bright colors and take an interest in our outfits. If we are depressed, we swap these bright colors for darker shades.
In the days leading to Autumn’s death, she started taking lengthy afternoon naps when she came home from school, which was out of character for her. Before her death, Autumn was a ‘ball of energy’. She would cartwheel around the house, but had become lethargic of late. She would curl up to sleep during the day.
This behavior was poles apart from the lively, vivacious and happy Autumn everyone knew.
Autumn was a happy and bubbly girl who had many interests. She loved cheer-leading, dancing, archery and, most of all, laughing with her friends. Shortly before her suicide her demeanor changed. She lost all interest in the things that usually made her excited.
Autumn was the joker amongst her friends and family. Athletics was her passion, and she loved to compete. In the weeks before her death, Autumn became withdrawn and quiet. These were gradual changes her parents put down to hormones.
There are over 720,000 deaths a year because of suicide, and alarmingly, rates of suicide are rising in the age group 8-12. It shocked me to learn that in the US, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the age group 10-19.
According to one study, 22% of high school said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 10% of students admitted they had made a suicide attempt within the past year.
There are many reasons a child may contemplate suicide, but most who attempt suicide will show warning signs beforehand.
Pamela Hoffman is a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the Yale Child Study Center. She works in emergency departments, and she’s noticed a worrying trend with child admissions. Not only is there a significant increase in the number of children presenting for attempted suicides, but the children are getting younger. She emphasizes the importance of catching the warning signs of suicidality early.
“When someone is stating suicidal ideation, it’s something we can work on. We can try to catch them before a tragedy happens. But once they’ve already tried, we’re now picking up the pieces.”
Patricia Hoffman
When a person is having suicidal thoughts, there can be a change in their behavior but also the presence of entirely new behaviors. Of course, we can all experience these behaviors from time to time, but the person is most at risk if they exhibit more than one behavior.
Warning signs of suicidality may be subtle, so here’s what to look out for.
Every suicide is a tragedy, but it’s distressing to learn that suicide is increasing in young children. I cannot imagine what a child goes through to conclude that killing themselves is their only option. It’s up to us to be vigilant and know the warning signs of suicide in children.
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