Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
CLEVELAND, Tenn. - September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month. In the past, Lee University has hosted events like suicide prevention walks, booths, and lectures to raise awareness.
Photo courtesy of Title XI Office.
Students often are unsure of what action to take if they suspect someone is suicidal. The recommended way to address this is to question, persuade, and refer. This is best done in person rather than through social media, text, or email. Students may hesitate to ask about mental health because they feel awkward, uncomfortable, or fear how the conversation will end.
Dr. David Quagliana, doctor of Behavioral & Social Sciences, “encourage[s] people [to] trust your gut if you're worried about somebody's mental health and be willing to risk the embarrassment, the relationship, [or] whatever it is by asking the question.”
Another important aspect to approaching someone struggling with suicidality is to simply sit and listen.
“The greatest intervention that all of us can do- and I train my therapists to do this too- is join[ing] people where they're at, empathically, and you listen,” Quagliana said.
If you suspect suicidality, try to persuade them to find professional help and refer to the proper channels.
The counseling center offers weekly individual and group therapy sessions. Typically, individual therapy sessions are 45 to 60 minutes long while group therapy sessions last 60 to 90 minutes.
Students can register for counseling online at https://counselingcenter.leeuniversity.edu/TitaniumWeb/ or in person at the Watkins Building. For immediate help for a mental health crisis, call or text the National Suicide Hotline at 988.
