Despite the press coverage that campus shootings get, the real danger at college is suicide.
Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health reveal that suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2006. Scott Poland, associate professor at the Center for Psychological Studies and coordinator of the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention at NSU, said that suicide is not only a national issue but is a dangerous problem on many college campuses.
“The data nationally indicates that one out of every 10,000 college students dies by suicide every single year,” he said. “It is the second leading cause of death for the college student population.”
Erin Procacci, coordinator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Campus Suicide Prevention grant given to the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention and adjunct faculty at the Center for Psychological Studies, said that suicide may be even more prevalent than statistics show.
“We know that there a lot of people that die and they say it’s an accident or it’s kind of unexplained,” she said. “So I think the reality is a lot of this occurs more often than we really know because it’s hard to report or people don’t want to talk about what the cause was.”
Poland said that some people are afraid of speaking about suicide, fearing that doing so will cause more suicides. However, the key to suicide prevention is awareness.
“Education awareness saves lives worldwide according to the best research possible,” said Poland. “We have to talk about it more. The prevention really rests with information.”
Poland said that although not every suicide can be prevented, research shows that the majority can be easily prevented with more awareness and information.
Michael Pusateri, graduate assistant at the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention and president of NSU Students for Prevention, Intervention and Response to Emergencies, said that there are many reasons why people commit suicide including making a decision based on ambivalence and impulsivity.
“There are so many other mediating factors that contribute to that,” he said, “and had they maybe received or benefited from the resources available, especially here on campus, their mindset might have changed. At one point, their life is the never ending series of stresses and really tough situations, but just having a different perspective that the resources and professionals can provide can change things.”
Pusateri said no special training is needed to identify the signs of suicide.
“Whether you’re a math student; whether you’re a psychology or a law student — we all play a role in suicide prevention even if we’re not aware of it,” said he said.
Poland said that often people do not respond correctly when others express feelings of depression or sadness to them. He said that saying things like “Oh, things can’t be that bad” are not usually helpful.
“Drop what you’re doing,” he said. “Be with them. Listen really carefully and get them to help. The really key thing is don’t keep a secret when somebody talks about violence or suicide.”
To increase suicide awareness, the Office of Suicide and Violence Prevention and NSU Students for Prevention, Intervention and Response to Emergencies will co-host National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 13 — Sept. 16. The week will feature speakers on: “What’s Eating You? Eating Disorders: The Number One Psychiatric Killer”, “Suicide Prevention — Saving Lives, One Community at a Time” and “Suicide Prevention — Saving Lives, One Community at a Time.”
Suicide Prevention Week Activities
Monday, Sept. 13, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
“What’s Eating You? Eating Disorders: The Number One Psychiatric Killer”: Angie Gonzalez, therapist at Oliver-Pyatt Centers, will discuss the different types of eating disorders, the medical consequences and how to get help for someone who has an eating disorder. Location: Maltz 2047
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
“Suicide Prevention – Saving Lives, One Community at a Time”: Lori Simmons, Area Director of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), will discuss the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of suicide, as well as how you can help to prevent suicide. Location: Maltz 2047
For more information, please contact Michael Pusasteri at (954) 262-5852.
