1. Stigma of Mental Health and Suicide on a College Campus
Dr. Sarah Hessenauer, Alissa Zawacki, and Sylvia Washington University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, Department of Social Work
Introduction
Across the nation, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students and takes an estimated 1,100 student lives each year (Schwartz, 2011).
Assessment of students’ and faculties’ knowledge, exposure, and stigma of suicide and mental health was completed using an assessment tool known as SPEAKS (Suicide Prevention, Exposure, Awareness and Knowledge Survey).
Participants included 965 students and 44 faculty remembers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Following data collection and analysis of SPEAKS, a plan for educating staff members and the student body will be developed.
Results will be shared to determine what the university is effectively doing to provide awareness of suicide and mental health issues and to make suggestions for improving support for students and staff on campus.
Summary of Student Results
547 students said that they were aware of at least one local resource to refer someone at risk of suicide but only 83 of those students were able to name at least one of those resources
540 students have never been exposed to suicide prevention materials on the UW-Whitewater’s campus
Roughly 100 students said that if they were having suicidal thoughts, they would not seek help from anybody
Students’ perceived stigma of suicide on campus was double and sometimes triple that of their own personal perception
As shown in Table 1.1, the majority of staff (81%) reported never receiving any formal training in suicide prevention although 45.5% have identified a student at risk for suicide and 79.5% have referred a student to counseling.
As shown in Table 1.2, the majority of staff reporting their willingness to refer students at risk, however only a third were confident identifying these students.
Comparison of Faculty Student Results
As shown in the graph below, students and faculty had relatively similar answers for questions on the survey. Although both groups indicated being aware of local and campus resources, few have ever participated in suicide prevention activities on campus.
When asked about their opinion about receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors as a sign of personal weakness, 95.5% of faculty and 52.3% of students said they strongly disagreed. However when asked the same question from a campus standpoint, only 61.0% of faculty and 31.0% of students strongly disagreed.
Demographics
Faculty Results
Conclusion
Results indicate that students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater lack exposure to suicide prevention materials and activities.
There appears to be a lack of suicide prevention training for the faculty. Faculty reported their willingness to refer students to resources for help, however few identified as being confident in recognizing the warning signs in the first place.
Both groups reported perceiving the campus as having a more negative viewpoint about receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their personal viewpoints.
Item
Yes No
Participated in suicide prevention activities on campus (n=44)
4 (9.1%)
40 (90.1%)
Aware of at least one local resource to refer someone at risk for suicide (n=44)
41 (93.2%)
3 (6.82%)
Know where to find the counseling center on your campus? (n=44)
35 (79.5%)
9 (20.5%)
Identified a student who was at risk for suicide (n=44)
20 (45.5%)
24 (54.5%)
Referred a student to counseling services (n=44)
Received training in suicide prevention (n=43)
8 (18.6%)
35 (81.2%)
Table 1.1
Item
Very Confident or Confident
Somewhat Confident
Not Confident
I can recognize the warning signs of suicide students. (n=42)
33.3%
38.1%
28.6%
I would ask someone who was exhibiting the warning signs of suicide if they are thinking about suicide. (n=42)
42.9%
35.7%
21.4%
I would connect or refer a student at risk for suicide to resources for help (e.g., hot-line, counseling, ER, etc.) (n=44)
86.4%
11.4%
2.3%
Table 1.2
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Undergraduate Research Program. In addition, we would like to thank all of the faculty and staff who took the time to discuss/respond to questions about campus suicide resources and the students who completed the survey.