Campus Suicide Prevention Research Articles

Results of professional interventions of gatekeeper training programs for college student suicide prevention: A systematic review

immediate prevention efforts. It is the second leading cause of death among college students aged 15-29. To this day, mental health issues decrease students' academic achievement—while less help and treatment are given. This review aims to identify the available literature regarding professional interventions for campus suicide prevention, and preferences for suicide crisis service support options among college students. Method: Data were based on Scopus, Science Direct, Wiley, and EBSCO using some keywords such as intervention, suicide prevention, and college student. This review applied Preferred Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) to analyze 15 articles extracted from the database with a specific criterion published in the last five years (2018-2022). Results: The results point out that an effective intervention to prevent suicide among college students is a gatekeeper training program. Gatekeeper training programs by providing mental health lectures and lectures, discussions, role plays, online open course modules, and messages via email or telephone involving lecturers, staff, campus security, and students provide positive results in efforts to prevent suicide. Students most frequently choose social assistance—that is, help from friends, parents, and lecturers—as well as counseling or psychiatric treatments for their mental health needs. Conclusion: Providing mental health information to gatekeepers through lectures, discussions, role-play training, online open course modules, and messages via email or telephone involving lecturers, staff, campus security, and students has provided positive results in suicide prevention efforts.

HHS awards funding to states, tribes and colleges to prevent youth suicide

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on June 1, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, awarded $5.9 million to states, tribes and college campuses for youth suicide prevention programs. Of the total $5.9 million, $3.6 million was awarded to states and tribes under the Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program. The remaining $2.3 million was awarded to college campuses under the GLS Campus Suicide Prevention Program, which enhances mental health services for all college students, including those at risk for suicide, depression, serious mental illness/serious emotional disturbances, and/or substance use disorders that can lead to school failure.

Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant (SAMHSA)

Federal Grants & ContractsVolume 46, Issue 8 p. 6-6 Grants alerts Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant (SAMHSA) First published: 14 March 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.32278Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume46, Issue817 March 2022Pages 6-6 RelatedInformation

Systematic tracking of mental health acute care visits: A model of care for college students

Objective: College students who receive an acute care visit (ACV) from an emergency or inpatient unit require mental health follow-up (MHF) to improve long-term outcomes. This study describes tracking ACVs and MHF, while identifying characteristics of multiple vs. single ACVs. Participants: 191 students who received an ACV (N = 231) at one public university – enrollment approximately 39,000. Methods: For two academic years (AYs), students were tracked and offered timely MHF. Demographics, clinical information, utilization patterns, and rates of MHF were analyzed. Results: Primary reasons for an ACV were suicidal thinking (60.6%) and psychosis (13.9%). MHF improved between AYs (65.8% to 93.3%, X 2 = 27.48, p < .01). Multiple vs. single visits were more likely to present with self-injurious behavior and psychosis and received more intensive follow-up yet, had similar rates of MHF. Conclusions: The primary reasons for an ACV – suicidal thinking and psychosis – underscore the importance of campus suicide prevention and psychosis-specific services.

Gender and Racial-Ethnic Differences in Treatment Barriers among College Students with Suicidal Ideation

ABSTRACT Understanding barriers to treatment-seeking among college students with suicidal ideation (SI) is critical to campus suicide prevention efforts. We used data from the Healthy Minds Study to test for gender and racial/ethnic differences in self-reported barriers to professional help-seeking among college students with past-year SI. Students (n = 1,817) with SI who reported no past-year care indicated their reasons from a list of 25 attitudes, experiences, and structural factors. We examined differences in reported barriers to mental health services between men and women and between Asian, Black, Latino, and White students. There were significant gender differences for seven of the barriers, including that men were more likely to report a preference to deal with issues on their own. There were significant racial-ethnic group differences for 14 barriers. Implications for suicide prevention practices and policies are provided, including targeted group outreach tailored to the most salient barriers to treatment.

Understanding suicide risk and eating disorders in college student populations: Results from a National Study.

To examine suicide risk by eating disorder severity and symptom presentation in a nationwide sample of college students. The Healthy Minds Study is the largest mental health survey of college populations in the United States. We analyzed the most recent available data (2015-2017) with 71,712 randomly selected students from 77 campuses. We estimated associations between two measures of suicidality (ideation and attempts) and three validated measures of eating disorder symptoms (the SCOFF, weight concerns scale, and the eating disorder examination questionnaire binge and purge items). Importantly, we also controlled for co-occurring symptoms of depression and anxiety, based on validated screening tools. The large, diverse sample provided a unique opportunity to assess whether certain individual characteristics were associated with increased risk. Eating disorder symptoms, even at subthreshold levels, were highly predictive of suicidality. Relative to students with no apparent eating disorder symptoms, students with the highest symptom levels (a SCOFF score of 5) had 11 times higher odds of attempting suicide, while those with subthreshold symptoms had two times higher odds. We also observed a strong association between suicide attempts and eating disorder presentations that included purging. Students from marginalized backgrounds, particularly gender and sexual minorities, were at increased risk for suicide and eating disorders. In the largest known study to date, findings suggest that eating disorders should be a priority within broader campus suicide prevention efforts, should be assessed along a continuum of severity and symptom presentation, and should focus on reaching vulnerable students.

Campus Suicide Prevention

A public health approach to suicide prevention (SP) emphasizes using a comprehensive plan utilizing multiple strategies to address suicide in the community of interest. Universities using this approach are called to develop interventions to increase SP knowledge, reduce suicide risk factors, enhance protective factors, and examine their efforts scientifically to evaluate program effectiveness. The current study polled responding college students ( N = 819) about their exposure to campus SP messaging materials, participation in SP activities, and whether they experiencedhavinga person close to them attempt or die by suicide during the three years of a SP program funded by the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (2004). Students were also queried about their perceived level of SP knowledge, knowledge of suicide facts, and the stigma associated with receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors using the Suicide Prevention Exposure, Awareness, and Knowledge Survey (SPEAKS). Simultaneous multiple regression analyses were used to examine relationships between study variables. Results indicated that exposure to SP messaging materials predicted a higher level of self-perceived knowledge and a lower level of perceived stigma. Participating in SP activities and having someone close to you attempt or die by suicide predicted both a higher level of perceived knowledge and actual knowledge of suicide facts. Self-identifying as male predicted a higher level of stigma. Implications for campus SP programming are discussed.

Factors Related to Suicidal Ideation among College Students in GUAM

The risk and protective factors related to suicidal ideation among college students in Guam remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to identify the rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, and explore the risk and protective factors of suicidal ideation among college students in Guam. A total of 207 college students at the University of Guam were surveyed in 2009. The rate of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was 10.2% and 8.2%. respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, previous suicide attempts, shorter period of living in Guam, high scores on cultural difference and negative affect, and low scores on family meaning were identified as independent predictors of suicidal ideation. These risk and protective factors for suicidal ideation among college students, including stress and social support, should be considered in planning campus suicide prevention programs.

Active Minds: Creating Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Awareness

Utilizing student peers is one vital avenue for improving the prevention, detection, and treatment of mental health disorders on college campuses (The Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia, 2011). This article will briefly review research findings indicating the importance of student peers and then focus on a promising model and growing movement, established by Active Minds Inc., an organization dedicated to engaging students in mental health promotion and prevention on campus. We will describe Active Minds’ history, goals, model, and programming, and give indications about future directions. After a decade of existence, Active Minds has seen firsthand the challenges and rewards of utilizing student peers to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses.

Peer Education in Campus Suicide Prevention

AbstractThis chapter explores the need and effectiveness of using peer educators to help address mental health issues on college campuses. The implementation process of a mental health peer education program at a large research institution, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is discussed.

Gatekeeper Training in Campus Suicide Prevention

AbstractThis chapter reviews factors in effective gatekeeper training as part of a comprehensive suicide prevention program. A case example is provided to illustrate the application of these factors.

The Public Health Approach to Campus Suicide Prevention

AbstractThis chapter explores public health theories and approaches to suicide prevention on campus. Implications for student affairs and higher education personnel regarding suicide prevention programming are discussed.

Campus Suicide Prevention: Bridging Paradigms and Forging Partnerships

Colleges and universities are increasingly recognizing the need to expand suicide-prevention efforts beyond the standard, clinical-intervention paradigm of suicide prevention, which relies on referral to, and treatment by, mental health services. These services frequently struggle, however, to provide effective, comprehensive care. After reviewing findings that support the need to adopt a broader, problem-focused paradigm, the article provides a framework for bridging this paradigm with the clinical-intervention approach and for conceptualizing a full continuum of preventive interventions. For each level of intervention (ranging from the individual to the ecological), we describe the goals and methods used, and provide examples to illustrate the role of psychiatrists and other campus mental health providers in the collaborative partnerships that must form to support a comprehensive, campus-wide suicide-prevention strategy.

College Students' Reasons for Concealing Suicidal Ideation

Self-reported reasons for concealing suicidal ideation were explored using data from a national survey of undergraduate and graduate students: 558 students indicated that they seriously considered attempting suicide during the previous year and did not tell anyone about their suicidal thoughts. Content analysis of students' qualitative responses to the question “Why did you choose not to tell anyone about these thoughts?” generated nine reasons: (a) perceived low risk, (b) concern for others, (c) dispositional privacy, (d) pointlessness of help-seeking, (e) others' negative reactions, (f) personal negative reactions, (g) repercussions, (h) interference, and (i) perceived isolation. Implications for campus suicide prevention are discussed.

The Role of Psychiatric Nurse Faculty in Establishing a Campus Suicide Prevention Program

Suicide among college students has received increased national attention over the past few decades, partly due to the publicity regarding high-profile suicide events on college campuses throughout the United States and its territories. Currently, suicide is identified as the second-leading cause of death in college students. Due to federal legislation such as the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act of 2004, many college campuses have been able to establish suicide prevention programs. This article describes how a psychiatric nurse faculty member successfully established a comprehensive suicide prevention program that was initially supported by grant funds from the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.

Outcomes of a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training on a University Campus

A university-wide suicide prevention program was implemented to provide students, faculty, and staff tools to identify, assist, and refer distressed and suicidal individuals. The study examined participant self-reports of suicide-related knowledge and prevention skills, group differences in suicide prevention knowledge and skills, group differences in confidence and comfort levels, and changes in participants’ beliefs that the interventions they conducted were effective. Participants completed a questionnaire at three time points. Results showed significant increases in self-rated knowledge about suicide, suicide prevention, awareness of resources and belief in the appropriateness and likelihood they would ask someone about suicide. Implications for campus suicide prevention and education programs are discussed.

Suicide Prevention in the Dot Com Era: Technological Aspects of a University Suicide Prevention Program

Western Michigan University's Suicide Prevention Program utilizes multiple technological components, including an online training course, a Web site, and 2 social networking Web site profiles, as integral aspects of a comprehensive program. This article discusses the development, maintenance, use, and impact of the technological aspects of this program, which complement other program activities in meeting program goals. The Web site and use of social networking Web sites have been very well received by members of the university and wider community. Although initial outcomes of each component are positive, low participation in the online training course has limited the usefulness of pretest–posttest comparisons. It is thought that other campus suicide prevention programs may benefit from using technology as a primary method in their suicide prevention programming efforts.

A college suicide prevention model for American Indian students.

College student suicide prevention efforts are important to campus administrators and mental health professionals due to increasing concerns about managing suicidal students. This article describes the development and preliminary effectiveness of a campus suicide prevention program designed for American Indian (AI) students who are at higher risk for suicide compared with the general population. Using the medicine wheel as a guiding framework, the current prevention model integrates communication links between AI tribes and prevention program staff, educational and cultural programming, and spiritual ceremonies with the larger campus mental health resources available to students. A discussion of the barriers faced and solutions generated for implementing the program is offered, along with suggestions for disseminating this AI-specific prevention program to other universities.

Striving to Help College Students with Mental Health Issues

Mental health problems in the college population appear to be increasing in number and severity. University counseling services are limited in the number of counselors they can hire to meet the increasing demands. In addition, it is believed that many students do not actually seek much-needed counseling services due to lack of knowledge about mental health problems or services, stigma, or denial of the severity of the problem. Left unrecognized and untreated, mental health problems may lead to students dropping out or failing out of college, attempting or committing suicide, or engaging in other risky, dangerous behaviors that may result in serious injury, disability, or death. Mental health nursing faculty can help address this problem on college campuses by offering courses on mental health issues and skills, becoming involved with NAMI-on-Campus groups, and seeking grant opportunities that can be used to help develop and enhance services for the college community. Information about how to establish a NAMI-on-Campus group can be obtained by accessing http://www.namioncampus.org or http://www.nami.org.

Senator Awarded for Efforts to Improve Access to MH Care

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government NewsFull AccessSenator Awarded for Efforts to Improve Access to MH CareMark MoranMark MoranSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:2 Mar 2007https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.42.5.0005bSen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) has “consistently worked for better overall health care with a focus on ensuring that Medicare Part D works effectively for seniors and the disabled.”Credit: Office of Sen. Gordon SmithSen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) received the AMA's Nathan B. Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service after being nominated in an effort led by APA.He was honored in the category of “Outstanding Senator” for his work on behalf of Medicare and Medicaid patients, patients in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, people with mental illness, and other public health causes such as suicide prevention.The award was presented last month at a banquet hosted by the AMA in Washington, D.C. Smith was nominated by APA and five other organizations with the support of the Oregon Psychiatric Association.The five organizations were the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, and Oregon Medical Association.“Sen. Smith has consistently worked for better overall health care with a focus on ensuring that Medicare Part D works effectively for seniors and the disabled,” according to the nominating letter signed by APA President Pedro Ruiz, M.D. “As chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Smith has held numerous hearings addressing key health care issues affecting seniors, as well as others. These include the Medicare Part D drug benefit implementation, managed care and cost savings in Medicaid, generic drug use, suicide, HIV, health care globalization, embryonic stem cell research, and care in national emergencies.“When the President's 2005 budget called for up to $60 billion in Medicaid cuts, Sen. Smith rose above partisanship to oppose these cuts, to protect low-income and/or disabled individuals from a benefits reduction,” the letter stated. “He had bipartisan success in reaping a substantial, sixfold reduction in cuts to $10 billion during this budget resolution process.”Smith also turned the tragedy of his son's suicide into positive public policy by obtaining unanimous Senate consent for passage of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act in September 2004, which has authorized federal funding since 2005 for programs to prevent youth suicide (Psychiatric News, November 19, 2004).In October 2004 the federal Campus Suicide Prevention grant program was implemented under the act. “The impact of this act on youth suicide prevention is impressive,” the letter stated. “Designated for 2007 are $5 million for mental and behavioral health services on campus, $30 million for youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies, and $5 million for a technical assistance center.”In March 2006 Smith published Remembering Garrett: One Family's Battle Against Depression, a memorial to his son and his struggle with depression, and a personal account of the family's efforts to cope with his suicide. The book was published by Carroll and Graf Publishers, New York.“His book will encourage and inspire some to seek help for themselves or others,” the letter stated. “In this way, Sen. Smith sparked public dialog about mental illness, its serious impact on our lives, and reasons why access to mental health services is so essential.”APA Director of Government Relations Nicholas Meyers told Psychiatric News that “there couldn't have been a better choice” for the award than Smith, who Meyers said has been “extremely helpful to APA” on a wide range of issues.“He led the fight in the Senate to rescind GOP-directed Medicaid cuts, and in doing that he aligned himself with Democrats, which took a lot of courage,” Meyers said. “We were very glad that we were able to garner so much support for the nomination from the other specialty societies.” ▪ ISSUES NewArchived