Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death in Texas for people ages 15 to 34, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Universities across Texas have taken initiatives to prevent suicide among college students, including UTRGV.
Through a federal grant of $304,490, the School of Medicine’s Office of Counseling and Wellness, the Counseling Center and the Office of Continuing Education are providing Suicide Prevention Program trainings.
The three-year grant has completed its first year and the Counseling Center has planned a semester of trainings and workshops.
“The good news is that we know that people can do something about it,” said Counseling Center Director Christopher Albert. “We can reduce suicides and one way is to identify those who may be at risk and for those people to get the professional help they need.”
Albert said some of the money from the grant is used to train people in QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) Suicide Prevention training, which includes recognizing the signs of someone who is suicidal.
“It’s not just for professionals to learn this,” he said. “In fact, this was developed specifically for anyone to learn. So, it could be other faculty, staff, students, parents. So, we wanna be able to train as many people as we can.”
In the last year, 790 people at UTRGV and the community have been trained in QPR Suicide Prevention. Those trained to give the presentation include counselors at the center, social workers from the School of Medicine and community, as well as some faculty and students.
The trainings are offered by request by emailing Albert at christopher.albert@utrgv.edu or Eugenia Curet, assistant dean of students in the School of Medicine, at eugenia.curet@utrgv.edu. They are offered on campus and off-campus sites.
Veterans are at a high risk of suicide, so student veterans are also a specific group for outreach with the program.
The average number of veteran suicides a day is 20, according to a recent U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs suicide data report.
“It’s just a number until it happens to somebody you know,” said Erik Webster, a mass communication senior and veteran.
Webster, who served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from 2007 to 2011, said he had a hard time coming back to school because he could not relate to his classmates. He said the university has done well with supporting veterans, but would like more.
“Readjusting to civilian life can be difficult,” Webster said, “… so you don’t necessarily want to talk to other students. You don’t wanna talk to people on campus because they can’t relate to you.”
The Student Veterans Association is planning its monthly tribute to the veterans who have taken their lives. In 2012, the number of suicides per day was 22, so as a tribute, SVA invites the university community to do 22 pushups at the Student Union patio.
SVA President William Pabon, a criminal justice junior, said the university isn’t a “negative environment” for veterans but that he does think there can be more. He hopes to bring a mentorship for veterans so they can have someone to turn to for academic and emotional help.
Pabon, who served as a sergeant in the Marines from 2007 to 2015, said the association is there for veterans as well as all students. He said the organization is working on reaching out to other organizations for collaboration.
“Most veterans who come across someone that [is] struggling are gonna help,” Pabon said.
He hopes the Military and Veteran Success Center can be accessible to all veterans, especially when looking for “emotional” help.
“Our big goal, really, is to establish a place where our student veterans, or even dependents, can go and have all their questions answered. … They’ll have the help they need, whether it’s mental, physical or academic,” Pabon said.
For Suicide Prevention Month, the Superhero Project will host a Mental Health Mini Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Union on the Edinburg campus and in the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus.
The Superhero Peer Educators, along with the Heads-Up program, the Zen Recovery Center, and Office of Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention will offer information about resources on campus during the event.
Ana Rodriguez, a peer educator for the Superhero Project, hopes the fair and trainings will give students the resources and knowledge they need.
“It’s something that has been a taboo subject to speak about,” Rodriguez said. “Not a lot of people speak about it, but it is important to know the signs of someone that is going through a period of suicidal ideations.”
The Counseling Center will host an information table for Suicide Prevention Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Union on the Edinburg campus.
On Oct. 4, the center will host an event in which students can complete a screening for depression. After filling out a form, students can see a counselor to address any possible issues. Details of the event are tentative and will be posted on utrgv.com/counseling.
The workshops available this semester can be found on the Counseling Center website, utrgv.edu/counseling.
The Vaquero Crisis Line, 665-5555, is available 24/7. Faculty, staff and students can also submit a report to Vaqueros Report It, https://www.utrgv.edu/en-us/student-experience/report-it/.
