When college students experience a mental health emergency, they often report feeling isolated, unsupported or hopeless. September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time marked by a crucial message: you are not alone.
There are resources offered, both at Pierce College and in the wider community, for students who are struggling with their mental health or experiencing suicidal thoughts. But resources are only helpful if the general student body knows about them, so it’s important to meet students where they are.
With so many students struggling, the Pierce community should use September as an opportunity to spread mental health education, awareness and hope.
On-campus support for student mental health is critically necessary, especially because suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults, according to a study published in Psychiatry Research. The study found that about 12% of college students disclosed suicidal ideation. In 2022 alone, more than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Currently, Pierce offers up to six free counseling sessions per semester for students, through TimelyCare. While this is an excellent resource, more needs to be done to spread awareness of it. If suicide prevention workshops are hosted in a variety of classes, like the Student Health Center has done in some previous years, more students will know about the availability of free counseling.
Colleges and universities can take action to prevent suicide through steps including “promoting social networks and connectedness and improving access to mental health services on and off campus,” according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. Workshops are one way to improve this access.
Everyone can help prevent suicide. If a peer is struggling with their mental health, you can be a support by knowing the warning signs of suicidal ideation, according to an article in NPR. These signs include changes in someone’s mood or behavior, as well as if someone is “feeling depressed, anxious, irritable or losing interest in things.”
There is help out there. It’s the job of the Pierce community to support each other.
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or chat live at https://988lifeline.org/.
To receive helpful information from the Pierce Student Health Center, go to https://www.lapc.edu/student-services/spr/health-center.