According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 15-24 and the accounts for 20% of all deaths for people in that age group.
In a 2011 survey conducted by the CDC, 15.18% of students surveyed reported that they had considered suicide, while 7.8% of students in the same survey had reported actually attempting suicide. National Suicide Awareness Day this year is September 10, 2013 and National Suicide Awareness Week is September 8-13, 2013.
In recognition of this, The University of New Haven celebrates Beat the Blues Week during Suicide Awareness Week, with various events taking place from September 9 to September 13, sponsored by the Office of Student Activities, Office of Residential Life and the Psychology Club.
On Monday, September 9, an informational table was held in the Bartels Campus Center, where students had the opportunity to take a pledge to promote suicide awareness. On Tuesday, September 10, the Beckerman Recreation Center held several Group X classes, including spinning, body weight boot camp, yoga, ballet and Zumba. On Wednesday, September 11, chocolate covered pretzels & hot cocoa were available for students, and the Office of Residential Life held an additional informational table as well as giveaways in the Bartels Programming Space. On Thursday, September 12, the Office of Residential Life gave out milk, cookies and tips on managing stress. On Friday, September 13, the Office of Student Activities hosted a late-night trip to Milford Title Boxing, where students were given a few free rounds of boxing. “It’s extremely important to create awareness about suicide prevention, especially at the beginning of the year when many students are going through transitions,” said Kirsten Ellison, Coordinator of Student Activities. “We try to provide a variety of programs that students can enjoy without being overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t want free cookies in the quad or learn how to box!”
Lastly, the Psychology Club hosted an event in the Bixler/Botwinik Quad on Friday, September 13. Anyone who came by could write a message on a yellow balloon that was tied to the Bartels patio for the day. Yellow is the color of suicide awareness. Messages ranged from general words of encouragement and education, to more personal messages to those lost to suicide. Kristin Digiovanna, president of the Psychology Club, notes, “It is very important that the UNH community is aware of suicide and how many people it affects each year.” Elicia Young, the sergeant-at-arms of the club added, “The more people that are aware, the more lives that can be saved.”
Regarding Beat the Blues Week overall, Greg Overend, Director of Student Activities, said that, “The awareness being raised by these organizations and offices is wonderful and we need to do more programs like this.”
Erica Weiglhofer, a Graduate Assistant in Student Activities, adds that, “Suicide is one of those things that we’ll never fully understand and we’ll never have all the answers, but any amount of education and awareness helps.”
