No End In Sight: Suicide Among College Students

"More people in the general population die from suicide than homicide in North America. There are almost 11 suicide deaths each year for every 100,000 people living in the United States, and for every suicide, there are between 8 and 25 attempts" (Brent 4203). Based on this research, the great effect of suicide is displayed. According to dictionary.com, suicide can be defined as "the intentional taking of one's own life." Suicide is a major issue for all people, but it most obviously affects those ranging from ten to twenty-four. People need to understand the tremendous ramifications caused from suicide everyday; when people take their lives, others lose their loved ones. Suicide, one of the leading causes of death of numerous people each day, has reached a crisis point for adolescents and young adults, and it needs to be prevented.

The rate of suicide, the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally, increases each year. “More adolescents die each year from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined” (Preventing Teen Suicide, 2016, p.2). These facts show suicide is a serious problem among teens. Last year, teen suicide became the second leading cause of death in the United States confirming the significant increase in teen suicides.

Deadlines, Midterms, finals, papers, all while trying to have a social life can become overwhelming. According college degree search, there are 1,100 suicides at colleges per year. That’s 7.5 per 100,000 students. It has been proven by research being a college today student is much harder than in the 1950’s. College students encounter a great deal of problems, such as depression, time management, and having personal relationships.

The current suicide rate among 15- to 24-year olds is quite disturbing. Growing in numbers since 2007, the latest toll taken in 2013 on suicide within college settings is 11.1 deaths per 100,000 people (Scelfo, 2015). According to the article Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection, Pennsylvania State University had six students commit suicide in a 13-month stretch (Scelfo, 2015). Suicide within college settings are usually linked with severe depression. As mentioned by Kevin Breel in the Confessions of a Depressed Comic Ted Talk, depression is not sadness, real depression is being sad when everything in your life is going right and this, this I can personally relate to.

Doctor Constance Scharff pens an article discussing suicide on college campuses and the overwhelmed mental health system that is responsible for monitoring the students’ needs (Scharff, 2015). The article mentions that college aged students more frequently receive mental health services as youth to be able to handle the college stressors in the future. This trend the facilities are ill equipped to deal with the more complicated mental health issues like suicide. Unlike other articles reporting on suicide, this article promotes positive ways to deal with the stressors instead of blaming the system for the rise in deaths or problems.

Core strategies such as coping mechanisms, creating protective environments, and enhancing access to suicide care and services are presented. Gaining clarity on the CDC’s approaches to suicide reduction in this report will further my ability to evaluate biopsychosocial interventions and the pivotal role of community.

In 2004 Congress enacted the Campus Suicide Prevention initiative which provides funds through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services, to college campuses nationwide (Smulson, 2016). The Campus Suicide Prevention initiative supports program activities, mental health screening services, and prevention strategies to form a foundation for mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and substance abuse prevention (Smulson, 2016). While research shows that mental and behavioral health supports can improve student life and functioning, the program falls short in some areas.

Suicide. The word catches everyone’s attention; it is the actions leading up to the suicide that goes unnoticed. Unfortunately, the suicide rates continue to increase, and the why remains unknown. In the United States, 44,193 American's died by suicide in 2015 with the state of Kentucky ranking 19th for the highest suicide rates (American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, 2015). In the state of Kentucky, there is a suicide every 12 hours (American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, 2015). Additionally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among the youth population in the state of Kentucky (Kentucky Center for School Safety, 2016). Suicide has the potential to impact everyone without discrimination. Therefore,

Suicide prevention is not a last minute activity. Textbooks on depression state it should be acted on as soon as possible. Unfortunately, suicidal people are often afraid that trying to get help may bring them more pain: being told they are stupid, foolish, sinful, or manipulative; rejection; punishment; suspension from school or job; written records of their condition; or involuntary commitment. Studies have found that seventy five percent of suicides have shown signs of deep despair weeks or months prior to their death. By the year 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that suicide, brought on by depression, will be the number two cause of lives lost

Too many acts of self destruction occur on college campuses each year, whether it is through binge drinking, anorexia or self-mutilation, the root of all of these displaced outlets of release is depression. This scary fact is one that all college students need to seriously face and look for not only within themselves but within their friends as well. On the campus here at Northeastern University, we have had one reported suicide this year from an icon in our sports program, Joseph Connelly Gazzola, which has hit some people hard. As reported in the Boston Globe by Martha Bartle on February 16, 2004, “Mr. Gazzola's father, Louis, of North Attleborough, yesterday confirmed that his son had taken his own life.” But Northeastern is not alone. NYU has had four deaths this year from what appears to have been suicide.

According to the Centers for Desires Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the tenth leading cause of death of Americans in 2013. It is clear that suicide among student is a very severe problem and public health has a goal of preventing suicide among students by applying different strategies. Students are the young population of the United State of America (USA) and they should be healthy both mentally and physically in order to maintain and build a stronger

An escalating problem throughout many educational institutions, primarily high schools and colleges is suicide. The strain of competing for the best grades possible in order to acquire a brighter future becomes so unbearable that many students choose to opt out of their lives in order to relieve themselves of the pressure. Grades may not be the only reason why a student may choose to commit suicide, several reasons include: relationship problems, drug abuse or financial issues. It is essential to know how to prevent student/teen suicide in order to let students and teens realize that there is more to life than grades and temporary setbacks. There are several ways to manage this issue; primarily

One of the major issues of the 21st century is suicide. The suicide rate has been increasing over the years rather than decreasing currently, “Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people15-29 years of age. Teen suicide statistics for youths 15-19 years of age indicate that from 1950-1990, the frequency of suicides increased by 300% and from 1990-2003, than that rate decreased by 35%.Over the past decade, however, the rate has again increased to 12.1 per 100,000. Every day, approximately 105 Americans die by suicide” (Suicide Fact 2003-2016). Suicide is not something easy that can be controled because although it is possible to see when a person has a problem it is hard to get the person to speak about the situation they are in.

Suicide is a serious matter. Suicide takes the lives of over thirty eight thousand Americans every year (General Statistics USA). In twenty fifteen, there were forty four thousand, one hundred ninety three reported suicide deaths (Robert Gebbia). Twenty five million Americans suffer from depression each year (Robert Gebbia). Every day, approximately one hundred twenty one Americans take their own life (Robert Gebbia). One in every five high school students say they considered suicide in the past year (Lynne Peeples). In twenty fourteen, four hundred sixty nine thousand, ninety six people visited a

Campus mental health statistics paint an alarming picture of the incidence of suicide rates on college campuses and by some measures they are getting worse. Almost one in three students have admitted to considering suicide. Mental health needs on campus are real and serious, they are also growing, which is