Depression and Suicide Among College Students: A Guide to Assessing Risk

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of deaths among college students today, but did you know that suicide is the second leading cause? Both causes can no doubt be reduced, but with a little knowledge and some understanding of how to assess risk, suicide is especially preventable in many cases.

The July 2002 online edition of Education Update contains an article entitled "Suicide Prevention on College Campuses." Author Molly Wallace cites statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health that say more than 90 percent of college age individuals who kill themselves suffer from mental illness, namely depression. That's an astounding statistic!

Wallace also cites studies that say individuals suffering from depression are some 20 times more likely to commit suicide than the general public, and those who have attempted suicide in the past are 38 percent more likely to do so in the future. Further, four out of five college age individuals who attempt suicide show clear warning signs in advance. That should get our attention.

With that in mind, suicide rates may be cut considerably by targeting those individuals who have depressive symptoms or have already attempted suicide. And you and I can help!

At a time in their lives when life often brings excitement and new frontiers, too many college students arrive in unfamiliar communities and surroundings, where the support of family and familiar friends is limited and the new demands of college life become stressful and sometimes overwhelming. The pressures, whether they be academic or social, can soon leave a college student feeling like they're in a box - alone, isolated and with no way out. Depression may quickly set in.

In my experience with a couple of individuals in this very situation, I learned a tremendous amount. For one thing, most college students who either attempt suicide or express a desire to be dead really just want the emotional pain to end. But just as the saying goes, they consider a permanent solution to what really is a temporary problem.

So what can you do?