Suicide on Campus:  Risks and Resources

Presented by: 
Mariana Peoples, MSW, and John Hancock, Ed.D., Licensed Psychologist
OIT Counseling and Testing Services, LRC 229, 885-1015

Facts

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students (about 1100 deaths per year). 
• 10% of college students report seriously considering suicide in the past year

You can help! 

• Most suicidal people don’t really want to die—they just want their pain to end.
• About 80% of the time people who kill themselves have given definite signals or talked about suicide.
• You won’t put the idea of suicide in their head by asking.  You will help reduce the risk!

Know the risk factors and warning signs

Risk factors:                                                                                            

• Depressed or irritable mood
• Social withdrawal
• Giving up previously enjoyed activities
• Sudden personality or behavior change
• Changes in sleeping or eating routines
• Alcohol and/or drug use
• Decrease in academic performance
• Frequent crying
• Feeling exhausted
• Difficulty concentrating
• Moping around or feeling very agitated
• Losing connections with family and friends
• Poor self-care
• Recent loss

Risk factors for college students:

• Recent relationship breakup.
• Young men are six times more likely than women to die by suicide.
• More than ½ of all suicides involve drugs or alcohol. 

The Intervention Three-Step

1.  Step One:  Show you care

Do’s

• Be a good listener and supportive friend.
• Be patient. 
• Take all talk of suicide seriously.

Remember:

• Your genuine interest is what’s most important. 
• I’m concerned about you…
• Tell me about your problems.
• You mean a lot to me and I want to help.
• I care about you, and I don’t want you to kill yourself.
• I want to help you get through this.

Don’ts

• Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing. 
• Don’t offer naïve reassurance.
  “Everything will be OK.”  “Things can’t be that bad.”
• Don’t tell them they shouldn’t be thinking of suicide.
• Don’t be judgmental or moralize.
  “Suicide is a sin, it’s wrong, you’ll go to hell.”

2.  Step Two:  Ask about suicide

Ask:  Have you been thinking about suicide?
Have you thought how you would do it?
How close have you come to taking action?
Try to place the person on a continuum:

Passive Thoughts  > Active thoughts > Thoughts w/ Plan  > Intention to Act

3.  Step Three:  Get help
Help for them:

Avoid leaving the person alone.
• Reassure the person.
• Know referral resources.
• Offer to help them get engaged.
• Give crisis line information.
• Consider restricting their access to the means of suicide. 

Help for you:

• Don’t promise confidentiality.
• Don’t keep it to yourself.
• Do talk with someone about YOUR concerns. Options for support: 

Counseling, Student Health, Dean of Students, Disability Services, Residence Life staff.