The Rise in College Suicides: How to Protect Our Young

September is Suicide Awareness Month. One alarming aspect of suicide is its frequency among young people, particularly college students. Defined as self-injurious behavior aimed at causing one’s death, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people. According to the American College Health Association (ACHA), the suicide rate among young adults ages 15–24 has tripled since the 1950s. Annually about 1,000 college students take their own lives. Thousands of their family members are affected by these deaths. Fellow students and faculty are traumatized, and campus life is disrupted. Thousands more commit non-fatal acts of self-harm to deal with extreme emotional pain.

Suicide among young adults has tripled since the 1950’s

Student Life Brings Many Challenges

September is also a month when all of America’s colleges and universities are back in session with in-person classes, virtual classes or some combination of the two. Many continue to offer non-traditional, exclusively online programs of study for students who can earn degrees entirely via online instruction.

But for many traditional college students in their late teens and early twenties returning to college is an emotional adjustment and challenge to their wellbeing. Many of these young people are often away from home, family and friends for the first time – losing connection to the emotional support system they have known all their lives. They’re living with strangers, in a new setting, and working under intense pressure to achieve. Many have had limited experience with the new autonomy that comes with college life – autonomy that also brings easier access to alcohol and illegal drugs, and new peer pressure. Their ability to adjust to change is challenged. Their interpersonal skills are tested as they develop a new social support system. They must learn to manage stress in this new environment while often coping with loneliness. They do all this with disrupted sleeping, eating and exercise patterns. Now add in COVID-19. One can hardly imagine a more stressful situation for young people with limited life experience. This adjustment is made much more difficult for about one fifth of students- those with some underlying mental health or substance abuse condition.

Obviously, college students are a vulnerable population, particularly vulnerable for suicide as evidenced by their high rate of death from that cause. But they are also vulnerable for mental health and substance abuse conditions in general. This vulnerability is especially significant during the COVID pandemic with its unusual and additional stresses.

The Role of College Administrators in Reducing College Suicides

College administrators realize their responsibility for student’s mental health and safety but are faced with the dual challenge of reduced budgets and implementing COVID precautions. What can they do to improve student access to mental health and preventative services and to ensure students’ wellbeing? Here are some suggestions.

• Survey students and parents. Ask them about their mental health issues, needs and expectations for campus support.
• Provide accessible campus wellness activities that build resilience in students and normalize mental health on par with physical health.
• Provide easy access to behavioral health screening services, services that include easy access to counselors.
• Review your on-campus student counseling center’s services, hours of operation and accessibility. Is there a “waiting list” for services? Is 24/7 access to a counselor available for students with urgent needs? Are services being delivered in culturally competent ways?
• Make sure students, faculty, administrators, staff, and campus police are trained in Mental Health First Aid.
• Offer a comprehensive suicide awareness and prevention program for students.
• Engage rising first year students early on with supportive services that help them bridge the social and emotional transition from high school to college.
• Don’t forget the mental health of students in your entirely online educational programs. Do these students have equal access to your institution’s mental health services? Are their unique needs being addressed?
• Finally, if you have fiduciary responsibilities for student and faculty health and wellbeing, examine your own attitudes and beliefs about sensitive issues like mental health, suicide and emotional wellbeing. Make sure you recognize your own biases (it’s okay, we all have biases) and recognize how they influence your actions.

About the author

Norman Winegar, LCSW, CEAP, is the Chief Clinical Officer for Espyr. Norman has worked in the mental health field for over 30 years and is frequently called on for presentations and as a panelist to share his expertise and experience as a mental health clinician.

About Espyr

Espyr is a national leader in mental health and achieving sustainable behavioral change. For over 30 years, Espyr has provided innovative mental health programs to employers, government departments and agencies, as well academic institutions.   Espyr’s clients include those that operate under some of the most challenging and stressful conditions. For more information on how Espyr can help your organization, call Espyr at 888-570-3479 or click here.

Sources

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm?s_cid=mm6932a1_w

Peterson C, Sussell A, Li J, Schumacher PK, Yeoman K, Stone DM. Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — National Violent Death Reporting System, 32 States, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 69:57–62. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6903a1external icon.

Suicide is the Second Leading Cause of Death Among College Students

https://www.safecolleges.com/suicide-second-highest-cause-of-death-among-college-students/

National Center For Education Statistics

https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/tables/201314_Virtual_Schools_table_3.asp