On Sept. 10, while participating in a photo shoot on a bridge in Nashville, TN, Grammy-winning singer Jon Bon Jovi noticed a woman who was about to take her own life. He was able to convince her not to jump and soon after, emergency services arrived to assist with the situation.
On the national scale in the United States, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the JED Foundation found that “13.6% of adults (ages 18-25), have had thoughts over the past year.”
September is a month full of new possibilities as college students move in, start classes and join clubs but it also coincides with National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Across the nation, colleges like the University of Connecticut and John Carroll University, have their resources ready to help students, and others alike.
“The rate among college students was reported to be lower in 2022 than all 18-24-year-olds,” according to Lyss Welding and Best Colleges. However, according to the Trevor Project, “LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers.”
JCU has many options for all students, faculty, staff and community members. Through the Wellness Center, students can meet with trained peer health advocates. Also during September, a memorial made of 1,100 white flags lined the quad with signs on the edges stating facts for the college students who have died since 2023 on the national level.
One person who wishes to remain anonymous wanted to share their story. They said, “I have come across numerous people, including some of my friends, who have questioned suicide. A lot of it comes from depression and anxiety.”
“From a student’s perspective, there are many ways to get help. You could go to therapy, listen to music or go on a bike ride. It will be ok. Put in a little faith, and know you have a bright future ahead,” they said.
According to Mental Health America, “5.04% of adults reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide. The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts in the U.S. is over 12.8 million. College students are also prone to committing suicide.” Suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind car accidents, for college students.
Katharine Hahn Oh, who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology, staff psychologist and director of the Counseling Center, said, “Colleges and universities across the country surveyed students which helped form the JED program. What was noted specifically was the LGBTQ+ community as there is a high rate. ”
Hahn Oh said “The Wellness Center also offers specific training on the program, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), for suicide specifically. About 320 people came out and learned more, plus Sophomores will also be completing training later this year. The center also offers therapy with extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 [p.m.]–7 [p.m]. We have two graduate assistants, along with fifteen hired student staff members.”
The Counseling and Wellness Centers offer many ways to schedule appointments. Students can call 216-397-1973, email [email protected] or stop in. There are different types of appointments. Hahn Oh adds, “We can schedule a 20-minute appointment. There, we can assess the situation, know where to go next and tailor future visits. We also do psychiatry work by keeping up with meds. Everything done in the Wellness Center is private.”
In the fall semester of 2023, JCU held a town hall meeting that broke down the statistics on mental health and suicide. According to the transcript, “25% of LGBTQ+ students are suffering depression, and 44% are struggling with body image.”
Looking at John Carroll Students specifically, it has been reported that there are more white students, more men and fewer LGBTQ+ students. In 2023, students reported feeling significantly less depression (30%), self-injuring (24%) and feeling left out (20%). Also according to the transcript, 12% have had suicidal thoughts in the past year.
Four different groups on John Carroll’s campus have and are noted to be struggling with signs. Those groups include the LGBTQ+ community, athletes, students of color and women & gender nonbinary (GNB). Some of those signs include (but are not limited to) binge drinking, anxiety, depression and body image.
According to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Law, Williams Institute, “most suicide attempts (61%) among LGBQ people occurred within five years of realizing one’s sexual minority identity.”
The national suicide hotline is 988, and the emergency number is 911. John Carroll University offers a podcast called Mental Health Minutes. JCU also offers group therapy sessions. To be involved in group therapy is open to all, and recommended to call the Counseling Center or email Amanda Groves Kopchak at [email protected]. Each session is confidential.