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Suicide Prevention The process of someone getting to the point of taking their own life is a process that occurs over time and those who take their lives usually suffer from an illness such as depression, anxiety, bipolar illness (manic depression) or schizophrenia. In most cases, there are opportunities for friends and others to step in to help. Knowing the signs of suicide, depression or other illnesses that may contribute to someone becoming suicidal and how to intervene are all critical pieces to the prevention of suicide. Check out the Caltech Student Counseling Center's resource guide on depression and suicide prevention. Learn more about the services at the Caltech Counseling Center, or stop in and talk with the health educator. To learn more about what you can do to help a friend, reach out and use the confidential services available on campus. Depression In the general U.S. population, it is estimated that 2-3 percent of men and 4-9 percent of women are depressed at any given time. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in U.S. college students and suicide in the young has tripled over the past forty-five years. Though these numbers are staggering, depression can be treated and suicide can be prevented. The United States Surgeon General has called for stepped-up efforts to address depression and suicide prevention. The Caltech Student Counseling Center is responding to this request by reminding students of the resources available to them on campus. If you or someone you know may be depressed or suicidal, help is available on campus. Students may contact the Student Counseling Center at x8331 to speak with a professional staff member confidentially. If it is after business hours and is an emergency, please contact Security at x5000 and ask for the counselor on-call to be paged. In addition to one-on-one consultation, a comprehensive resource guide on depression and suicide prevention is available on the Caltech Counseling Center website under the link to Suicide/Depression. We hope the information will help prevent suicide and result in people getting the help they need for depression. |
Useful Links The
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Wendy Lopata
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