Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Osazuwa Okundaye [Click to enlarge]

Suicide is often thought to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Yet the figures on suicide may suggest otherwise.

The American Association of Suicidology reveals suicide is the second biggest reason for death among college students (accidental driving being the first). Even further, one in every 12 college students has had suicidal thoughts during college.

There are more than 1,000 suicides across college campuses in the U.S. every year.

"The main reason behind suicide is clinical depression. The majority of all suicide cases stem from clinical depression," said Kerry Hope, suicide prevention program coordinator at the Student Counseling Services. "Surprisingly, up to one in every four Americans suffers from clinical depression."

There are times when we all feel overwhelmed and depressed but one contemplates suicide when they lose hope, Hope said.

"Research has shown that hopelessness is the major predictive variable for cases of suicide. Whenever one feels helpless, he always feels that there is hope that the situation will change," Hope said. "For a person who commits suicide, he feels that the helpless situation he is in is permanent, and that makes him commit suicide, thinking that is the only way out."

The American Association of Suicidology says at least 70 percent of people committing suicide give some clue as to their intentions. However, those closest to the person are either unaware of the significance of these warnings or do not know how to respond.

Colleges across America have started to implement measures to reduce the occurrence of suicides in campuses. New York University has implemented software called At Risk, developed by Kognito Interactive, which helps train faculty and staff to understand signs of suicide among students.

"Students experiencing mental distress tend to exhibit behavioral patterns that are detectable in academic settings," Ron Goldman, CEO of Kognito Interactive, said.

An estimated 80 percent of students who commit suicide go unnoticed, Goldman said.

"Many schools have begun to train faculty, staff, and RAs on how to identify, approach and refer students who exhibit signs of mental distress to their campus counseling center," he said.

Hope said A&M does not require simulation software of this kind. SCS provides training for students and faculty to help identify and refer cases of suicide.

"We have a QPR program in place, which stands for Question, Persuade and Refer, for all students held once a week in the SCS free of cost," Hope said. "We teach students how to tackle cases of suicide and be aware of the people around them. Any student in Texas A&M can register online for this training and complete it in two hours."

Hope said there are two basic ways everyone can help bring down suicide numbers.

"The first thing we can do is to be aware of the people around you and notice the people we talk to," Hope said. "The next is never to hesitate to ask anyone if he is OK and talk to them. In case a person requires professional help it is best to refer them to the SCS or ask them to call the Helpline."

In general, statements about feelings of depression, helplessness, loneliness or hopelessness may suggest suicidal thoughts. This may be accompanied by outward changes in their behavior.

"If a person you know is going through a particularly stressful time, perhaps having difficulty maintaining a meaningful relationship, having consistent failure in meeting goals or even experiencing stress it is important to watch out for these points of crisis," Hope said. "Outward changes in behavior may include withdrawing from those around them, losing interest in activities and changes in eating and sleeping patterns."

However, Hope said there is no better way to prevent suicide than getting professional help when required.

"It is best to go to a trained psychologist when needed because firstly they have the ability to best handle the situation and secondly they can listen to your problems without any bias and from your perspective," Hope said. "We have one of the premier counseling services in the country and students should make use of it when required."

Causes of depression:
Difficulty adjusting to a new and unfamiliar environment
Pressures both academic and social
Feelings of failure or decreased performance
Alienation
Family history of mental illness
Lack of adequate coping skills
Difficulty adjusting to new demands and different work loads

The American Association of Suicidology

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