Information About Suicide
- Approximately 1,350 college students die by suicide each year, about 3 per day.
- Research consistently reports that distressed college students first turn to friends for help.
- 52% of students who confided in others about their suicidal ideation reported that telling the first person was helpful or very helpful in dealing with suicide thoughts.
- Males are three times more likely to die by suicide than females, but women attempt suicide at rates two to three times the rate of males.
- Male veterans are twice as likely to die by suicide as the general male population.
- Lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, particularly adolescents and youth, have significantly higher rates for suicidal behavior.
- Each suicide seriously impacts at least six other people.
- It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of those who have significant mental health problems do not seek treatment because of fears of stigma and discrimination.
- Untreated mental illnesses - specifically depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse - are the leading contributory causes of suicide in young adults.
- Studies show that nearly 1 in 5 individuals in California report needing help with a mental or emotional health problem.
- Only about one-quarter of young adults between the ages of 18-24 believe that a person with mental illness can eventually recover.
- Only a little more than one-half (54%) of young adults who know someone with a mental illness believe that treatment can help people with mental illnesses lead normal lives.
- Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself
- Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means
- Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person
- Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
- Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities - seemingly without thinking
- Feeling trapped - like there's no way out
- Increasing alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
- Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
- Experiencing dramatic mood changes
- Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life
- Be supportive, not dismissive.
- Know your limits. If you are talking with someone who has specific ideas about
how they would end their life, connect them with a COUNSELING CENTER. - Know your resources.
- Stan State Counseling and Psychological Services (209-667-3381)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
- Get support - don't do it alone. If you talk with someone about their suicidal
thinking, it's important for you to talk to someone else. Ideally, that person has some
experience dealing with challenging topics, so that they can be supportive of you. - To learn about more about how to have a conversation with someone you think may be suicidal, contact Health Education Coordinator, Megan Rowe, at (209) 664-6551 or mchristianson1@csustan.edu to register for an upcoming QPR Training.
- Kari was a student-athlete at Fresno State who completed suicide in January of 1996. Her story lives on in hopes of promoting awareness about depression and how to help save a life.
- Kevin Hines is a global speaker, author and mental health advocate who reaches audiences with his story of an unlikely survival after he attempted to take his own life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Counseling and Psychological Services: 209-667-3381
- Student Health Center: 209-667-3396
- For any emergency, call 911 immediately.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
- Stanislaus State University crisis alerts: 1-877-782-6411 (STAN-411)
- 24-hr. Rape Crisis Line: 209-527-5558
- Community Emergency Response Team: 209-558-4600
- Hospital 24-hr. Emergency Service
- Emanuel Medical Center, Turlock: 209-667-4200
- Memorial Medical Center, Modesto: 209-572-7251
- Doctors Medical Center, Modesto: 209-578-1211
- Doctors Behavioral Health Center, Modesto: 209-557-6300
Updated: April 16, 2024