Suicide Crises in College Students

Suicide has been a major topic in colleges and universities in the nation.  It is the third leading cause of death for youths between the ages of 15 and 24 years of age following accidental injury and homicide (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007; Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2004).  There seems to be excess burdens for this population which makes a stressful time period in a student's life.  Aside from attending class, some students have other responsibilities like work, family, illness, unexpected events, and financial crisis.  At a moment of crisis, everything may seem impossible to overcome, but help is readily available to alleviate stressful moments for anyone experiencing suicidal tendencies. 

Statistics show that more than half of college students will report some form of suicide thinking in their lives (Drum et al., 2009).  Sadness and hopelessness have a major impact on influencing suicidal tendencies.  Having a plan on how to end an individual's own life is usually the most important sign that alerts most clinicians to closely observe for suicidal tendencies.  People who have a plan are at greatest risk of following through with it during an episode of crisis.  Others that are at risk are those who are depressed and have attempted suicide in the last 12 months (Drum et al., 2009).  Drug or alcohol overdoses are the most common methods of suicide in this population (Drum et al., 2009).  Usually students have easy access to drugs and alcohol providing a dangerous environment for these individuals. 

            Family and friends need to become more aware of signs and symptoms these individuals are experiencing.  Some warning signs include depression, giving away very personal items, not attending class, or even when someone says, "I'm going to kill myself."  These signs could also indicate a person is trying to reach out for help, and unfortunately sometimes they are not so obvious to others.  People should take these warning signs seriously because they could potentially save someone's life.  Sometimes family and friends do not focus on the warnings because they are usually distracted by denial.  It can be difficult for a person to express and talk about their emotions and suicidal ideations.  These individuals may be embarrassed to talk about their problems, or they may feel they are a burden to others.  By simply talking to an individual and exploring their feelings, someone can have a great impact in a person's own outlook in life.  The mnemonic SIGECAPS is used in mental health to evaluate depression and suicide patients.  It stands for sleep, interest, guilt, energy, concentration, appetite, psychomotor activity, and suicide.  The risk for self-harm increases when an individual experiences more symptoms of depression.

            There is always help for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, tendencies, or ideations.  Family, friends, and support or activity groups are excellent motivators to keep people from falling to suicide.  Students who have a sense of belonging to a caring social network, such as sports participation or student organizations, are associated with decreased suicidal behavior (Brown & Blanton, 2002).  As tough as life may seem, there are always solutions for everything.  Suicide is not an appropriate solution.  Consider friends, family, or professionals who can help you get through the crises in life.   

In the event of a suicidal crisis, there are professional resources provided by TAMIU and the community to help someone get through these tough times in our lives.  TAMIU offers counseling services at University Success Center (USC) Rm. 138.  They can be reached at (956) 326-2230.  Another helpful resource to the community is Border Region Mental Health and Mental Retardation community Health Center.  The office phone number is (956) 794-3000, and the hot line number is 1(800) 643-1102.  This mental health facility is a useful resource for people experiencing suicide crisis or mental psychiatric conditions.  Also, Laredo's local emergency departments work together with crisis professionals who are on call 24 hours/day to assist people with suicide crisis events.  Suicide should not be an option.

References

Brown, D.R., & Balanton, C.J. (2002). Physical activity, sports participation, and suicide

behavior among college students. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34, 1087-1096.

Drum, D.J., Brownson, C., Denmark, A.B., Smith, S.E. (2009). New data on the nature of

Suicidal crisis in college students: shifting the paradigm. Americal Psychological Association, 40, 213-222.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Suicide Prevention: Youth Suicide.

Retrieved March 1, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-a.pdf