Counselors deal with suicide across college campuses

Dustin Mcdonough

The University of Iowa has faced three tragic suicides within the past 18 months, creating a concern that the pressures of college life can sometimes lead to suicidal tendencies.

Terry Mason, director of ISU Student Counseling Services, said suicides among college students happen for a variety of reasons.

“Very often, it’s a performance-related issue,” he said. “Students face high pressure in a college or university setting. Sometimes they feel like they can’t make the grade.”

Students often face depression because of relationship or financial problems among other reasons, Mason said.

“Often times, they don’t feel like there’s any way out of the situation,” he said.

Gerald Stone, director of University Counseling at the University of Iowa, said many students already have plenty of pressures to deal with before coming to universities, and adding the strains of college life can be overwhelming.

“Many students have problems with family, work or other issues before coming to a university, and they have added stress after they come to a university,” he said.

Students with suicidal tendencies also sometimes bring an amount of vulnerability with them to college, Stone said.

“Some students are already dealing with substance abuse or depression when they come to school, and that can cause problems,” he said.

Mason added that thinking about suicide at least once in a lifetime is fairly common among many people.

“But if it becomes a recurring thought and they start really thinking about taking their own life, then it becomes a serious problem,” he said.

It is important to recognize the signs if someone may be suicidal, Mason said.

“When we examine the case of someone who has committed suicide, we find that people who know the person often didn’t know he or she was suicidal,” he said.

Signs that someone may be seriously contemplating suicide include a preoccupation with death and statements of no longer feeling needed, Mason said.

“Sometimes a person will actually say to someone else, ‘Maybe the world would be better off without me,'” he said.

Another sign that someone may have suicidal tendencies is a drastic change in behavior.

“Someone might become suddenly joyous or suddenly very isolated. If someone is isolating themselves more than normal, that might mean they’re thinking about suicide,” Mason said.

He also said people should be aware if someone “begins doing things that seem to be tying up loose ends.”

“If they’re paying off debts or buying extra insurance or if they start leaving instructions for what to do [if] something should happen to them, that’s another sign,” he said.

Michelle Clark, staff psychologist at Student Counseling Services, said it is important not to ignore indications that someone is suicidal.

“If you think someone you know may be contemplating suicide, you should ask, ‘Are you thinking of suicide?’ or ‘Are you thinking of hurting yourself?’ Do your best to get them to a counseling center or to get them some sort of help,” she added.

Mason said that if suicidal tendencies are recognized by someone else and the suicidal person talks to someone about them, it can often help.

“It’s really important to understand that suicides are often attempted by people who are experiencing depression, and depression can be handled well, usually with a combination of medication and psychotherapy,” he said.

He stressed that the most important action is some sort of counseling for the suicidal individual.

“Most people who end up completing suicide have not sought help,” he said. “If we can talk to those folks, we can help them change their minds.”