SUICIDE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS

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Suicide Prevention and Awareness: A Review of Literature

Yesenia Molina
The University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract
Suicide is a serious public health problem, it affects communities nationwide. In El Paso the
number of people who have attempted suicide and those who have committed suicide is high.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. The purpose of this literacy
review is to research suicide among college students, research mental illness and its hereditary
factors related to suicide, analyze the impact social and paper media have on suicide, and it
offers possible solutions on the policies and regulations that can be applied to social and print
media to help prevent suicide.

Suicide Prevention and Awareness: A Review of Literature

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On August, 17, 2014 around 5:30 p.m. the UTEP police found a body hanging from a tree in
front of the campus library. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students. In
2012, 40,600 suicides were reported and this was an increase from 2011. Suicide places a heavy
burden on families, communities, and society. The loss of an individual causes immeasurable
pain especially when it could have been prevented. This paper explores the issue of suicide
among college students. This paper will raise awareness and prevention of suicide. It contains
information on where people can go to seek help. Suicide is a serious public health problem and
for these reasons it is important to take into consideration these four important questions. These
four questions are aimed to add depth of understanding of suicide:
1. According to research, what are the rates of suicide among college students?
2. How are mental illness and its hereditary factors related to suicide among college
students?
3. What is the impact of print and social media among college suicide rates?
4. As a society, what are the different policies and regulations that can be applied to
social and print media to help prevent suicide among college students?
These questions will narrow the purpose of this literature review by providing information about
suicide, analyzing mental illness and its hereditary factors related to suicide, understanding the
impacts of social and paper media, and finding different policies and regulations that can be
applied to social and print media to help prevent suicide among college students.
According to research, what are the rates of suicide among college students?
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students according to Suicide.org.
In a survey conducted among students from The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso
Community College about 73% know someone that has had suicidal thoughts and 52% have had
suicidal thoughts. In this survey the feelings that lead them to suicidal thoughts were common.

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College can be a difficult time for students they often feel lost, lonely, confused, concerned,
stressed, depressed, and unappreciated. Colleges experience 1,100 suicides per year. Men are
more vulnerable to commit suicide compared to women. In the past years suicides between the
ages of 15-24 has increased, this means that 12 people in this age group will commit suicide
every day, that is one in every two hours. In America, someone attempts suicide once every
minute. (Crisis on Campus: The Untold Story of Student Suicides, 2012) College is a difficult
transition period for students and problems can lead to depression. Depression is the number one
cause for suicide. According to Suicide.org studies indicate that college students who are suicidal
are quiet, reserved, depressed, and socially isolated. This is why it is very important to
understand how mental illness and its hereditary relate to suicide among college students.
How are mental illness and its hereditary factors related to suicide among college
students?
90% of the people who die by suicide have a potentially treatable mental disorder at the time
of their death and the disorder often goes unrecognized and untreated. Studies have shown that
the most common disorders among suicidal people are depression and mood disorders.
Schizophrenia and personality disorders are also common in suicidal people. Depressions raises
the risk of suicide and these include anxiety, panic attacks, desperation, hopelessness, feeling like
a burden, loss of interest and pleasure. In college you go through experiences that might increase
the risks for suicide, college students are stressed. Mental illnesses sometimes run in families
since it is believed that many mental illnesses are linked to abnormalities in genes. The risk of
suicide can be inherited not only because mental illness can run in the family but because of the
exposure to completed and attempted suicide in the family can provide a social model. Mental
illnesses are forms of interactions of genes and other factor may be included. The other factors
can be stress, abuse, anxiety, etc. Hereditary factors can contribute to a persons vulnerability for
suicide since they are susceptible to it. (Understanding Suicide, 2013)

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What is the impact of print and social media among college suicide rates?
There is a debate on whether local newspapers should be allowed to publish stories on
suicide. On the survey conducted among college students 79% answered yes. The respondent
answers where that it would help raise awareness. It is important for the public to know what is
happening in order to prevent suicides. The other 21% opposed for these reasons suicide is
private; families need time to grieve, and to prevent suicide rates to go up because they could
influence the public to commit suicide. This is what would be called copycat suicide. Copycat
suicide occurs when there is a publication of another suicide and the person with suicide
thoughts has local knowledge due to media and imitates it. The coverage of suicide should be
with the best practices in order to prevent copycat suicide. (Understanding Suicide, 2013)
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention a group of international suicide
prevention organizations, public health organizations, and internet safety experts have
collaborated with working journalists, news organizations, and schools of journalism to develop
a set of recommendations for reporting on suicide. Figure 1 demonstrates examples on suicide
should be cover. These points are important when covering suicide; 1. More than 50 research
studies worldwide have found that certain types of news coverage can increase the likelihood of
suicide in vulnerable individuals. 2. The magnitude of the increase is related to the amount,
duration and prominence of coverage. 3. Risk of additional suicides increases when the story
explicitly describes the suicide method, uses dramatic/ graphic headlines or images, and
repeated/extensive coverage sensationalizes or glamorizes a death. 4. Covering suicide carefully,
even briefly, can change public misperceptions and correct myths, which can encourage those
who are vulnerable or at risk to seek help. This is why it is very important to understand the
impact on social and print media.
Figure 1. Recommendations for Reporting On Suicide

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UTEP has a newspaper addressed the suicide coverage short and simple. Jasmine Aguilera is
the Editor-in-Chief and she provided the following information; the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline direct phone number 1-800-273-8355, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,
Helpguide.org, The UTEP Counseling Center which can be contacted at 747-5302 and the
Suicide Prevention Treatment of El Paso Texas may be contacted 24/7 at 544-400 or toll free at
800-967-3411. This is the kind of information that needs to be provided through paper media.
There are less regulations and policies when it comes to social media. Some images like
Figure 2 are found on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.
Figure 2. Suicide because the world is better off without you.

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These images contain the message of suicide; its the only way out. These images could be the
last image a person might look at when making their final decision. It evokes people to think that
suicide is the right decision, the only way out. This image satires suicide it conveys that the
world would be better off without you but there are also images like Figure 3 of Ryan Seaman
holding the suicide sign he is a musician in the band Falling in Reverse and this shows that many
artists are aware of the suicidal thoughts and try to help to prevent it. Artists try it with positive
images of hope.

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Figure 3. Ryan Seaman with the suicide sign. (The Suicide Sign, 2014)
Advice like this should be given through media Suicide does not end the chance of life getting
worse; suicide eliminates the possibility of it ever getting better. Social and paper media can
help destroy somebodies idea of suicide or encourage it. Another example in how social media
addresses suicide is through Public Service Announcements that people can watch in social
media such as YouTube. (Never the End - Suicide Awareness PSA, 2013) This video is
addressed to suicidal people, it asks for them to think over the decision of ending their life.
College students in UTEP are required to create a Public Service Announcement on their topic
which helps raise the awareness of their students.
As a society, what are the different policies and regulations that can be applied to social and
print media to help prevent suicide among college students?

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Local newspapers, magazines, etc. have to publish information on the national suicide
prevention line and publish stories but insure their privacy. As a society there are different
approaches we can take to help prevent suicide. Suicide needs to be taken more seriously.
Society needs to stop romanticizing and ignoring suicide. Society needs to educate others on how
to prevent suicide and it needs to be aware of what social media is portraying. Suicide warning
signs should be posted in social and paper media. These signs are depression, talking or writing
about death, withdrawing from family and friends, feeling hopeless, helpless, anger, trapped- like
there is no way out of a situation, experiencing dramatic mood changes, abusing drugs or
alcohol, exhibiting a change in personality, acting impulsively, losing interest in most activities,
experiencing a change in sleeping habits, change in eating habits, performing poorly giving away
prized possessions, feeling excessive guilt, and acting recklessly. Social and paper media could
add information on organizations like Suicide.org, El Paso Community Mental Health, and other
organizations that help people with suicide. People with suicidal thoughts need to know that they
can receive the help they need. Advices, videos, and images like Figure 3 need to be increased in
social and paper media. Suicide is NEVER the answer, getting help is the answer. If you are
suicidal, have attempted suicide, or are a suicide survivor, you will find help, hope, comfort,
understanding, support, love, and extensive resources here. I love you. And I will never stop
fighting for you (Caruso, 2011) Social and paper media should not cover the ways or reasons
which suicidal people believe that they should commit suicide. The newspaper cover of suicide
by The Prospector was correctly done. Local newspapers didnt cover on the suicide that
occurred in UTEP a few months back. No one in the local community knew about it. This is an
important reason in why local newspapers should cover on stories. The community needs to be
informed in ways in which they can help someone with suicidal thoughts and ways in which
people with suicidal thoughts can call or get help. The set recommendations for reporting suicide
could be followed as the one that was developed by the American Foundation for Suicide

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Prevention, international suicide prevention organizations, public health organizations, internet

safety experts, journalists, news organizations, and schools of journalism. These are some of the
ways in which different policies and regulations can be applied to social and print media to help
prevent suicide among college students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this literary review has analyzed the possible actions we can take for
regulations and policies for social and print media. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for
people in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students.
Mental illnesses such as depression have hereditary factors that contribute to suicide risks. The
impact of print and social media can be measured in different factors. As a society, there are
different policies and regulations that can be applied to social and print media to help prevent
suicide among college students.

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References
Aguilera, J. (2014, August 17). Body found in front of library, no foul play suspected. The
Prospector.
Caruso, K. (2011). Suicide.org. Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://suicide.org/
Crisis on Campus: The Untold Story of Student Suicides (2012). Retrieved November 16, 2014,
from http://www.collegedegreesearch.net/student-suicides/
Dwivedi, Y. (2012). The neurobiological basis of suicide. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor &
Francis/CRC Press.
Lamis, D. (2011). Understanding and preventing college student suicide. Springfield: Charles C
Thomas.
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention: Goals and Objectives for Action. (2012). Washington:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Ofce of the Surgeon General
and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Navarro, C. (2013). Thesuicidesign on Instagram. Retrieved November 16, 2014, from
http://instagram.com/thesuicidesign
Suicide. (2011). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/70387/
Understanding Suicide. (2013). Retrieved November 16, 2014, from
https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide
Utsin, G. (2013). Never the End - Suicide Awareness PSA. Retrieved November 16, 2014, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM9uJ0hHxII