Study shows suicidal thoughts common in college

LYNN – Mounting cost, relationship issues and academic stress are some of the many factors that experts believe have led to an increase in suicidal thoughts among college students in the United States, according to a new report.According to findings released Saturday by psychologists at the University of Texas, more than half of 26,000 college students surveyed at 70 colleges and universities reported having at least one episode of suicidal thinking during their lives.Fifteen percent said they seriously considered acting on the thoughts and more than 5 percent reported making at least one suicide attempt. The new numbers, reported at the American Psychological Association Convention in Boston, are higher than experts originally thought.Salem State College psychologist and counselor Dr. Elise Castillo is skeptical at the validity of those numbers, but did cite slightly lower – yet equally as alarming statistics that the college is working with along with state and college counseling centers.According to Salem State’s numbers, one out of every two college students will experience depression at least once while they are in school, however, only one in 10 contemplate or attempt suicide.Castillo said it is very common for a person to experience depression at least once in their lives, and college students can often feel overwhelmed because of a variety of issues.The pressure to succeed academically and pay for school are two obvious areas of concern, but other students can be depressed for many reasons whether it be a failing relationship, a battle with homosexuality or homesickness.At Salem State, the key is identifying which students need counseling, how serious each situation is and then making sure they get that help before it is too late.”Most humans will feel very overwhelmed at some point in their lives and may have thoughts like ‘I wish I was dead.’ One out of every two students reports depression that makes it hard for them to get out of bed and get to class,” Castillo said. “People who are stressed and overwhelmed are something that we see here every day. But someone who is seriously considering hurting themselves or ending their lives is something that is more likely tied to a mental health condition. Some people are incapable of handling whatever stress they feel at that time. That is where the outreach and training piece comes in.”Salem State offers individual counseling at its counseling center, with same day appointments available for severe cases and crisis situations, and requires training of all staff members who deal with students so that they can identify signs of depression and suicide.Every Monday the counseling center meets with public safety, residence life and other school departments to discuss individual incidents and try and get a hold on students who are at risk.Castillo said the school’s statistics show that 80 percent of students who do kill themselves are not in any sort of counseling, so it is important to try and be proactive.”We really want to get these students connected to the proper counseling,” she said. “We do this training so we can recognize the signs that someone may be suicidal because we want to get them to communicate and to receive the proper counseling.”North Shore Community College, located in Danvers and Lynn, is in a slightly different position than Salem as it does not have students living on campus. Because of this, Dean of Students Lloyd Holmes said the school does not have a comprehensive counseling program as students battling depression are usually receiving help elsewhere.Instead, the school has formed the Students at Risk Committee, chaired by Holmes, which is trained to recognize at-risk behavior in students and identify the proper individuals to call when there is a problem.”What we try to do if a student comes to us is try and have a basic conversation and assess that students’ needs,” Holmes said. “If a student is suicidal we would contact the proper resources and have