The National College Health Assessment indicates that 10 percent of college students have at one time thought about suicide--and 1 to 2 percent have attempted to kill themselves. Further, approximately 1,100 college students every year commit suicide, making it the second-leading cause of death among that age group.

If those numbers hold true for Carolina, as many as 2,800 students on the Columbia campus have contemplated taking their own lives and 280 have attempted to do so. Lisa Mustard, a counselor in the University's Counseling and Human Development Center, wants to raise awareness of the issue and provide help to those who need it.

"We want to help faculty and staff and students know what to look for and how to understand the warning signals of someone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts," said Mustard, who is the project director for a three-year, $200,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Carolina is one of 55 universities and colleges across the country to receive the grant aimed at better educating faculty, staff, and students about depression and suicide on campus.

Mustard has made presentations at numerous University 101 classes and hopes to begin making the same talks for English 101 and 102 instructors.

"We also plan to provide training for housing and residence life staff. They get a lot of training already on student life issues, so this will just dovetail with what they're already learning," she said.

Students who visit the University's Counseling and Human Development Center for any reason are asked to complete surveys that address a number of issues. In 2006, 19 percent of those students said they rarely thought about ending their lives; 10 percent said they sometimes had such thoughts; and 3 percent said they frequently thought of suicide.

Will the suicide prevention grant actually decrease the number of students who have suicidal thoughts and who attempt suicide?

"A large-scale awareness-raising project like this will increase referrals for student counseling--that's for sure," Mustard said. "And that's important because 80 percent of students who have completed suicide have never seen a college counselor. We hope our project could at least deter some impulsive-type suicide attempts."

More people who are emotionally vulnerable are attending college now, said Russ Haber, director of the Counseling and Human Development Center. Many have been treated with antidepressants, but are still more vulnerable to the stresses of college life, he said.

Any departments or groups interested in a suicide awareness and prevention presentation can contact Mustard at 7-5223 or by e-mail at lmustard@sc.edu.

11/07