Show Suicides Suicides still still bad sends news news sends ripples of shock through college campuses k Karen Neustadt TA VV W. W WHEN CPS THEN HEN a law student at college in Boston took her life two ye years rs ago by swallowing a handful of pills her family friends and professors wert were t stunned beyond words r She had everything going for her a supportive fa family ily a brilliant future e. e But she was a high achieving perfectionist who often felt overwhelmed by her life though this was virtually unknown until some of her journals were found The law student and many like her herre are re cases of smiling depression says a college men mental tal health expert whose specialty is college suicide There are some students says Leighton Whitaker director of mental health hearth services at Swarthmore Swarthmore Pa who are in quiet despair and comprise most of the surprising suicides among well ad college students Some college students may appear to express themselves emotionally but they are only y revealing a part of themselves them them- selves selves party party animals II for instance and others who wear a mask of cheerfulness cheerfulness cheerfulness cheer cheer- he said Then there are others who are more forthright I cant can't take it anymore Those five words are considered a ared ared ared red flag for college students who may be contemplating suicide say mental health experts who have watched students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents struggle with depression and d despair espa r o n HI III v The college suicide rate rat continues to grow according to data from the US U.S. Centers for Disease Control Driven by self low-self es esteem eem is isolation lation substance abuse and withdrawal about eight in college students take their lives according to a recent report by the Journal of College Student P h th nu h h t d d 2 fV 00 T U T S C 1 sy J c o w i c s u i e VV campuses Being a college student however may actually act as a buffer for youth suicide The figures reflect a suicide rate 40 percent less than their non-college non peers in the 24 18 age group Most of the increase in the last three decades was due to an increase in youth suicide in general and the vast majority of those were white males Whitaker said The death of a student by his own hand has a chilling ripple ripple effect effect that sweeps the campus touching friends classmates tes and professors said Whitaker and requires a process process' he calls post which includes grief counseling and public services for those who knew the deceased Whitaker strongly advises that survivors survivors survivors sur sur- of suicide not try to avoid the grief profess which may be assisted by counseling as they may also become seriously depressed There is no more severe campus emotional emotional emotional emo emo- issue than that of the suicide of a student except the closing of the institution institution institution in in- itself he said noting that campus communities can be more tightly knit than small cities Some campuses consider student suicide prevention a major priority A Arash Arash Arash rash of suicides suicides' during the 1991 92 1991 92 school year at the University of Maryland's College Park campus prompted the administration to review revie mental health services and find ways to tomake tomake tomake make support more readily readily- available to students ts Eight students committed suicide during the year which according to the publication Campus Crime is estimated to be triple the number that could be expected on campus of r i I 4 f c. c GYi il i 1 o oZ V c.- c. 0 r. r i W 4 or t t toj oj rr- rr f r. r J iJ 1 J 1 I 1 j t I i J j I. I X r i. i iz kt n Y M a A 4 The suicides did not appear to be related related related re re- re- re but school officials say that it appe appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap pe red the students were under severe stress because of personal problems the fallout form budget cuts that disrupted campus life Since 1973 the United States Coast CoastGuard CoastGuard CoastGuard Guard Academy in New London Conn has had a community-based community suicide prevention program functioning functioning functioning function function- ing within its ranks In the years since the program was developed more than 50 students have been treated for suicidal thoughts and severe depres depres- sion Prior to 1973 the Academy lost four cadets and andone one faculty ty member to suicide in a year five-year period Since the program was set up there has not been a completed suicide on campus New cadets are required to attend lectures then take part Dart in a discussion keepers Twice as many male college students students students stu stu- dents succeed in killing themselves as female college students however studies reveal that females make more suicide threats and attempts than males While the figures are tragic they are more encouraging than the figure in the general population of the country where four times as many males commit commit commit com com- mit suicide than females For every male college student suicide there are on the average nationally nationally nationally na na- na- na suicide attempts by eight other males while an additional 12 men threaten suicide For II JL I cant can't take it II anymore and wa watch a videotape that explores the problem of student suicide Juniors are given four Jour hours of suicide prevention training which in includes includes in in- dudes in-depth in discussions of causes myths misconceptions and red flags They watch videos and pledge to become become become be be- and sisters sister's come their brothers each female student suicide 58 other women attempt suicide and threaten to kill themselves according according according accord accord- ing to research da data ta tain in Whitakers Whitaker's book College Student Suicide Whitaker who often counsels students students students stu stu- dents in distress also cites the machismo machismo machis mo role as one of the reasons twice as many male ale students take their lives than female students ts The more macho the man th the more likely h he will be involved involved involved in in- in morbid be behavior which includes suicide and murder murder murder- 1 I I Warnings of Depression 1 Sleep disturbances ces ces inability to sleep or excessive sleeping 2 Lack of pf energy 3 Changes in appetite ap ap- ap- ap petite petite loss loss or increase in increase increase in- in crease in appetite 4 Substance S depend depend- ence 5 Deterioration of persana personal personal per per- sana I appearance 6 Easily irritated or frustrated 7 7 Feelings of hopelessness hopeless hopeless- ness and h helpless helpless- ness llo self est estee 9 Withdrawn and preoccupied be be- havior 1 10 o. o Tendency to dwell on problems Source College Student Suicide ly by Leighton C. C Whitaker W Richard E. E W hi ta ke i d. d Th e sem e na re like I 6 though th era I ta The psychologist who recently published published published pub pub- a paper entitled Machismo and Morbidity said that overall college students students students stu stu- stu- stu dents engage in less macho behavior than their non college peers Since mental health services are usually highly accessible to college stud students students stu stu- stu- stu d dents there is an opportunity to prevent suicide that their non-college non peers do not have Gun control is also quite strict on campuses campuses- making accessibility accessibility accessibility to firearms more difficult than thanin thanin in other settings Young women who think a about o t suicide said Whitaker are more likely to give adequate warning that they are distressed and are more apt to see a counselor two factors that can deter the act of suicide The fact that women make more threats is positive in itself he said They more readily signal that they need help Alcohol is the single most overlooked overlooked overlooked over over- looked risk factor for college suicide said Whitaker who says that so societal denial of the physically and psychologically damaging effects of alcohol al alcohol al- al cohol have allowed this drug to keep a sacred place Most student suicides usually are spurred on by heavy alcohol or drug use use just for Jot an evening a |