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\"We set out very specifically not to glamorize suicide,\" showrunner Brian Yorkey said in an interview that aired today on \"GMA.\" \"I think anyone who has seen the show knows very clearly that nothing we did made suicide look attractive.\"

He continued, \"As many critics as we may have heard from, we've heard from many more people who said, 'Thank you for doing this.'\"

What parents should know

Moutier advises parents to, first, know their child and what they can and cannot take in terms of the show's content and conversations around suicide and death.

\"If you’re a parent who has a child who has had a suicide attempt, this would be a show I would have great caution around,\" she said. \"[It's] knowing your kid and knowing what might have a negative impact on their mental health because you wouldn’t want to expose them to anything.\"

She continued, \"I would challenge parents to not just go by the obvious stuff that alerts them of concerns, but also [ask], 'How vulnerable is my kid to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and how sensitive [is my kid]?'\"

\"PHOTO:
Beth Dubber/Netflix
PHOTO: Scene from the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why."
>

If you think your child would benefit from watching the show, watch it together and start a dialogue, she advises.

\"If your kid is already watching it, make the conscious choice to watch it together, that would be my ideal,\" Moutier said. \"If the parent has their relationship with the teen, then the parent and teen can go on the site and look at the discussion guide and the resources.\"

This season's focus on the experience of loss and how to move forward after suicide could be beneficial to young people, Moutier explained.

\"PHOTO:
Beth Dubber/Netflix
PHOTO: Scene from the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why."
>

\"The topic of building a greater sense of compassion and understanding directly relates to suicide prevention in a good way,\" she said. \"Oftentimes when people are at risk for suicide, the warning signs are complicated –- anger, isolation, drugs and alcohol, for example –- and the reaction would be to judge it.

\"We all have ups and downs with our mental health and we can help each other by giving each other the benefit of the doubt,\" she continued. \"[The series shows] that people can be going through so much more and in a way you don’t see it on the surface.\"

Beyond \"13 Reasons Why,\" parents can help stay one step ahead of their children's mental health in other ways, Moutier noted.

\"Parents can help their kids with their mental health in so many ways long before it becomes a crisis,\" she said. \"It's as simple as thinking of their kids’ mental health just as they do their physical health, just like you take your kid to a physical.\"

In that respect, parents should feel comfortable asking their child's pediatrician to screen for mental health at wellness visits.

Parents themselves can also set the best example for their children, according to Moutier.

\"One of most powerful things is just to take care of your own mental health and not to be private about it,\" she said. \"That it does not have to be a stigmatized topic.\"

More resources for parents, educators and kids

\"13 Reasons Why\" online resource center

\"13 Reasons Why\" discussion guide

Mental health screening questionnaire

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)

AFSP \"13 Reasons Why\" resource center

If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.

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