Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
(Publication Archives)
Home >> Publications >> Connections Index >> Winter 2002/2003

Community Connections, Winter 2002/2003

Safeguarding Students Against Suicide
Reprinted from the National Mental Health Association's website (www.nmha.org)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age students, with an estimated 1,088 occurring on campuses each year. M.I.T. and other universities have contended with lawsuits related to on-campus suicides and the services these institutions provide to students at risk.

In 2001, the Surgeon General released the first national suicide prevention strategy. As a follow up, NMHA and The Jed Foundation convened a panel of leading experts, Expanding the Safety Net: A Roundtable on Vulnerability, Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Behavior.
The report based on this roundtable was recently sent to more than 3,000 universities, and provides checklists and action plans to help administrators assess their campuses’ mental health needs in an effort to open a dialogue between universities, communities and mental health experts about this important issue.

Report highlights
  • Evaluation of the current research
  • Overview of at-risk students
  • Description of services necessary to address suicidal behaviors on campuses
  • Checklist for administrators to evaluate current programs and identify their campus’s needs
  • A call to action for administrators, campus communities and parents and families

Download the full report at http://www.nmha.org/suicide/report.pdf

posted 1/28/03