Suicide Awareness Will Stutterheim Kelly Center at FHSU As a clinician, mainly in Primary care, I struggled to care for people with their distress and anxiety around broken relationships, shortage of money and depressing jobs-even unemployment. I came to the conclusion that Marital Breakdown was a major Public Health Problem. Mental stress and distress is part of the human predicament, remarkably most of the time human beings survive and recover from incredible experiences-Auschwitz, Rwanda, Childhood abuse. When the ability to cope is pushed too far then mental anguish and illness may result. It is then helpful to try to define mental illness and measure the size and shape of the problem, to identify the determinants, to provide rational therapy and effective prevention.

Teaching and Learning Aims College Mental Health and Suicide Recognizing Suicidal Warning Signs How to talk with a person who is Suicidal Keeping the person safe

Questions for the presenter Mental health questions Please take some time during the first part of the presentation to write down any questions you have regarding mental health. After the first section of this presentation we will ask for everyone to turn in their card and take time at the end to answer your questions.

National College Health Assessment 1,100 college students commit suicide per year. That’s a rate of 7.5 per 100,000

Recognizing the Warning Signs- IS PATH WARM

Talking with a suicidal person Let the person know you are concerned and willing to help Discuss your observations with the person Do not express a negative judgment Appear confident, as this can be reassuring Ask the questions without dread Here are some recent college statistics about the effects of mental health at the college setting -not all the people who report feeling hopeless, depressed, lonely or overwhelmed means that they have a life long mental illness. -it can be a reaction to college and adapting to the demands.

Keeping the person safe Help the person identify past supports Involve them in decision making Call law enforcement immediately if the person has a weapon or is behaving aggressively Provide a safety contact number National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Do Not Leave an actively suicidal person alone Use guilt and threats to try to prevent suicide “You will go to hell” “You will ruin other people’s lives if you die by suicide” Agree to keep their plan a secret Mental health is not black and white. You are not either perfectly healthy or in need help. The best model we have illustrates mental health as a continuum. Go through and give brief examples of each category. -People can jump around in this continuum once you’re ‘ill’ doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. -Healthy functioning people can also have times of significant ‘ill’ or ‘injured’ times due to life circumstances (failing at something, breakup, family issues ect) -I’d like to take some time and describe the two most common issues brought up by the GBD study that impact mental health – Depression and Anxiety

The Cost of Silence

Phases of Grief & What to do Face your feelings Discuss your observations with the person Express your feelings in a tangible or creative way Look after your physical health Plan ahead for grief “triggers” Mental health questions

Questions for the presenter Mental health questions Please take some time during the first part of the presentation to write down any questions you have regarding mental health. After the first section of this presentation we will ask for everyone to turn in their card and take time at the end to answer your questions.