Northwestern State University of Louisiana takes action to provide resources for students in need during National Suicide Awareness month and throughout the year.
A study on the Louisian Department of Health website in an article titled “Suicide Prevention Services,” showed 48,183 Americans died by suicide in 2021. In Louisiana alone, 689 people died by suicide making it the 14th leading cause of death and third leading cause of death for ages ten to 34 in Louisiana.
For every death by suicide, it is predicted there are over 25 suicide attempts with predicted 100-200 attempts for 15 to 24 year olds.
Kevin Yaudes, the University of Louisiana System (ULS) mental health content expert and chair of the ULS Mental Health Advisory Council (MHAC), said the statistics have proved to be even higher in some cases.
“For every one adolescent who dies by suicide, approximately 100-200 attempt suicide,” Yaudes said. “Some research indicates that number is as high as 300.”
The main issue comes with identifying signs and creating an environment in which people can receive the help they need.
“Many people who are considering suicide are struggling in silence, you might believe that you don’t have any personal connection to suicide, but you probably do,” Yaudes said.
Yaudes described the environment he wishes to create by sharing a personal experience he had with his grandmother. Yaudes’ grandmother had surgery for colon cancer and many of his family members were not aware of his grandmother’s struggles at all.
“Decades ago, people used to whisper the word cancer, but that is not true any longer,” Yaudes said. “It’s my hope that as the community conversation about suicide and mental health continues that we will get to the same place with these topics and sharing that you are struggling doesn’t provoke anxiety and feeling of shame.”
Yaudes serves as chair of MHAC in the hope to create this environment. MHAC is composed of two individuals from each of the nine member universities with a mission to identify existing programming, resources and support for mental health and wellness across ULS and promote and strengthen their efforts.
The MHAC collaborates with ULS through the Vice President for Student Services, Safety and Resilience and the Vice Presidents for Student Affairs at ULS institutions regarding mental health and wellness. Yaudes stressed that if the focus is only on those in crisis, then the community will only ever be saving people from suicide rather than preventing suicide as a whole. He described mental health as a spectrum which everyone experiences with most being in between on most days.
“Rather than addressing only poor mental health, we wanted to provide resources that may help our community even on days when someone’s mental health is generally OK,” Yaudes said. “A better time to consider what you can do to improve and maintain good mental health is when things are generally going well.”
In an attempt to help all students, ULS created a group of Counseling Center Directors and developed a partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). These programs offer no-cost virtual or in-person trainers on campus to provide suicide prevention training to faculty and staff within ULS.
“Our campuses have many amazing programs and resources for mental health, so we want to highlight those and also offer additional support,” Yaudes said.
While the ULS focuses on all nine member universities, resources within NSU are essential to continue the conversation of mental health.
“I feel that the accessibility to suicide awareness and prevention information at NSU is easily accessible to students,” Bailey Willis, Student Government Association president, said. “SGA constantly throws events with counselors present where students can come and get informed, but also be supported.”
This month alone, SGA has had “Don’t Jump” a talk with Carlos Malave, Suicide Awareness Candlelight Vigil with Counselling Services, Suicide Prevention Training “Talk Saves Lives” with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a Suicide Prevention awareness Walk with Counselling Services.
“Last year our SGA Initiates were to put the National Suicide Hotline on the back of student IDs and resources in our University Syllabi. Having this new position as the Student Board Member for the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, I am trying to implement this in our eight sister institutions,” Willis said.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana recognizes that mental health and wellness are critical factors that influence a student’s academic success and overall well being. Students are encouraged to engage in healthy self-care by utilizing the resources and services available from the University’s counseling services
Rebecca Boone, executive director of Counseling and Career Services, is responsible for managing mental wellness efforts at NSU.
The NSU Counseling and Career Service Center provides a 24-hour call line and support to those experiencing mental health struggles, or those concerned about another student.
“We want to provide a safe space for students to talk about their mental health, find the mental health resources they need to live a happier life, and gain the support they need when going through challenging times,” Boone said.
Students can schedule appointments with the NSU Counseling and Career Services center to speak with a counselor about any mental health issue they may be struggling with. The NSU Counseling and Career Services center has four graduate counseling interns and three official counselors.
“We would like the NSU community to be educated (on) signs of mental/emotional distress so that they will recognize it in themselves and others,” Boone said, “We would like students to be aware that they are not alone even in their darkest times.”
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training is also offered to faculty and staff of NSU upon request. QPR training teaches about how to help a student, friend or family member who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and refer them for assistance.
Brandon Moore, graduate intern for NSU Counseling and Career Services, believes QPR training to be an effective resource for all NSU faculty and staff.
“We offer QPR training which is a really good source for explaining how to encounter and talk to someone who is suicidal,” Moore said.
Annually, the NSU Counseling Center sponsors a Candlelight Vigil at Chaplain’s Lake and the Suicide Awareness and Prevention 5K Walk/Run at Collins Pavilion. Boone described her mission with sponsoring these events.
“I would like students to know that it is important for them to educate themselves about mental health and suicide so that they can be support for those in distress and be comfortable with reaching out for support when they need it,” Boone said. “It takes courage to ask for help.”
Willis reiterates the importance of acknowledging one’s own struggles. “I want students to know that they are not alone, and they are supported by the university and students all over campus,” she said. “It is okay to not be okay, and you matter.”
Moore stressed the importance of suicide awareness and urges those struggling to reach out.
“Being suicidal is a natural response to stressful situations, but the more stigma around being suicidal than the less people get help, and more people will struggle,” Moore said. “We need to get it out there that if you are suicidal, please reach out.”
To schedule an appointment with NSU Counseling and Career Services, call (318) 357-5621 or visit room 305 in the Friedman Student Union Building during business hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
To reach the 24-hour crisis line outside of business hours, call (318) 357- 5431.
To receive more information on QPR training, call (318) 357- 5671.