Osmond Son Suicide: Was Fatal Plunge Preventable?

(CBS) Marie Osmond is sharing the tragic inside story of her son's suicide, and it's a heartbreaking one.

The celebrated singer's son Mike took his life on February 26, 2010 - one day after a phone conversation in which he told his mother he was miserable and without friends, Osmond said on Oprah. "Mike, I'm going to be there Monday, and it's going to be okay," she recalls telling her son.

The next evening she was awakened by a midnight phone call from the coroner, she said on the talk show.

Like any parent of a child who has committed suicide, Osmond has been tormented by questions about what, if anything, she could have done to prevent her son's death.

Are there any clear-cut warning signs that indicate a child is unhappy enough to commit suicide?

In fact, says the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are 15 warning signs, including talking about or threatening suicide, giving away prized possessions, and writing notes or poems about death.

What if you think your child is contemplating suicide? The academy suggests the following:

• Ask if he/she is thinking about suicide - and don't be shy about using that word.
•  Reassure him/her that you love him. Say that no matter how awful his/her problems seem, they can be worked out, and you are willing to help.
• Ask him/her to talk about her feelings. Listen carefully. Do not dismiss his/her problems or get angry.
•  Remove possible instruments of suicide from your home, including guns, pills, kitchen utensils and ropes.
•  Consult a doctor. Outpatient and hospital-based treatment programs are available to help depressed teens.

Osmond says she wishes she had known the full extent of Mike's pain. One reason he didn't talk with her earlier, she thinks, is that he didn't want his depression to be a burden.

Osmond urged the studio audience, "Tell your children it's never a burden."