Spring Break
"Active Minds at UConn" focuses on suicide prevention
Hannah Lovell
Issue date: 11/10/09 Section: News
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Margaret Bertram, a graduate student pursuing her Master's in higher education and student affairs, discussed some statistics related to suicide among college students. Ten percent of college students are diagnosed with depression each year, Bertram said, but nearly 25 percent of college students with depression never seek help.
Bertram also went over some symptoms of depression, including major changes in eating or sleeping habits, isolation and a general loss of interest in daily activities. Some of these symptoms are not exclusive to those with clinical depression, she said. Approximately half of all college students in the United States have felt some sense of hopelessness in the past 12 months.
But the major focus was on suicide, which Bertram said is the third leading cause of death among Americans ages 15 to 24 and is the second leading cause of death for American college students. Even those who do not go through with suicide can still need serious help. According to statistics given in the training, one in 10 students will consider suicide this year and one in 12 will make a plan for it.
As far as suicide prevention, Bertram said listening is the first step and "listening can help rekindle that hope and make that difference" when trying to get help for someone. She warned that often one cannot help a friend in danger alone, but by simply hearing what the person has to say, he or she may feel more open and ready to seek help.
According to the Active Minds official Web site, the group aims to raise awareness about mental illness and other mental health issues and "to destigmatize mental health disorders by promoting open, enlightened discussion of mental health."
Active Minds meets every other Monday at 5 p.m. in room 410 of the Student Union.
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