|
|
Education > Our Community Education Services
Suicide Risk and Prevention on the
College Campus
Suicide and suicide attempts by college students are major public health
concerns in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death
among college students, following accidents.
Is this a large problem?
Consider these facts:
- 1 in 5 college students reported being too depressed to function on at
least three different occasions.
- More than 122,000 college students in New York State seriously consider
suicide every year.
- 1 in 12 college students have made a suicide plan.
- Approximately 1,088 suicides occur on college campuses each year.
What Do We Know About These Students?
- College students may be in a new and unfamiliar environment, separated
from their familiar structure of community and their networks of support.
- Students may not have established new support networks, leaving them
feeling isolated and alone.
- Students may find pressures to succeed socially, academically and in
other parts of their lives different, intense and overwhelming.
- Students 25 and older (whether undergraduate or graduate) are at a
significantly higher risk of suicide than younger students.
What increases the likelihood that a college student will commit
suicide?
- Having a mental illness, especially depression.
- Experiencing a stressful life event or loss, including breakup of an
important relationship or difficulty adjusting to a new setting.
- Having an alcohol or substance abuse disorder.
- International students may experience the combined stresses of living in
an unfamiliar culture and of distance and separation from home in addition
to the pressures typically faced by college students. These students may
not have developed local support networks.
- Harassment may be a risk factor for suicide. Gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender students may experience discrimination and/or harassment.
What decreases the likelihood that a college student will commit
suicide?
- Recognition that a student is at risk and linking that individual to
appropriate services, including services for drug/alcohol abuse and mental
disorders.
- College and university staff who are trained and accessible to students in
need of help.
- A campus environment that encourages help-seeking.
- Appropriate treatment after a suicide attempt.
- A sense of campus community and connectedness, including outreach to
students who take a medical leave for mental health reasons.
- Restricted access to highly lethal means of suicide.
How can we help prevent suicide among college students?
- Effective screening of college students and linking students with on
campus treatment, support groups and programs with peers.
- Training of school leaders (deans, administrators, mental health
personnel).
- More open conversation about mental illness and suicide on college
campuses.
- Better assessment of a student’s risk after a suicide attempt.
- Colleges can reexamine their medical leave policies regarding students
with mental illness and provide outreach to those students who take a
medical leave for mental health issues.
- Limit access to lethal agents including alcohol, illicit drugs and firearms.
On college campuses this includes constructing barriers on balconies,
rooftop and bridges.
(These data reported in Saving Lives in New York: Suicide Prevention and Public Health Volume
2, 2005 and US News & World Report, 2006.)
Where Can I Find More Information?
For information on this web site, go to our Suicide in Children/Adolescents and
Suicide in Adults pages for warning signs, who is at risk and advice on what to do
to help.
The Jed Foundation
http://www.jedfoundation.org
This site describes the Jed Foundation whose mission is to prevent suicide on
college campuses and focus on the underlying causes of suicide. Go to this site
for important information and resources to help prevent suicide in young adults.
Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major
operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the
health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services,
especially for those people who are least able to help themselves
US Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm
“The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide” presented in 1999,
outlines more than a dozen steps that can be taken by individuals, communities,
organizations, and policymakers.
New York State Office of Mental Health
http://www.omh.state.ny.us
This site describes the Office of Mental Health, its initiatives and resources. It
also has links to other sites related to mental health.
Return to the top of the page.
|
