Posted on Nov 16, 2021
Colleges are turning to science to limit suicide contagion and help heal campuses
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/11/16/ [login to see] /college-suicide-prevention-science
Ethan Phillips was 13 years old when he first heard the term "suicide contagion."
It's the scientific concept that after one person dies by suicide, others in the community may be at higher risk.
Phillips learned the phrase growing up in Fairfax County, Va., where more than a dozen teens and preteens died by suicide while he was in middle school. It came up again when a high school classmate killed himself. By the time Phillips entered college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2019, he'd developed "an unfortunate level of experience" in dealing with the topic, he says.
Ethan Phillips was 13 years old when he first heard the term "suicide contagion."
It's the scientific concept that after one person dies by suicide, others in the community may be at higher risk.
Phillips learned the phrase growing up in Fairfax County, Va., where more than a dozen teens and preteens died by suicide while he was in middle school. It came up again when a high school classmate killed himself. By the time Phillips entered college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 2019, he'd developed "an unfortunate level of experience" in dealing with the topic, he says.
Colleges are turning to science to limit suicide contagion and help heal campuses
Posted from npr.org
Science
Suicide
College
Mental Health
Posted >1 y ago
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Depression is a sad sad thing for all the people left behind to pick up the pieces.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."How to prevent suicide's spread and heal vulnerabilities
According to best practices emerging from research, a postvention plan (which should be developed ahead of time, and ready to deploy immediately after any death by suicide) should include:
A defined team that will handle the response. This may include college or university leadership, counseling staff, campus security, residence hall management, the school's communications team, legal advisors, and others.
A method of communicating the news of the suicide directly to students, staff and the wider community. It's important to acknowledge the death was a suicide, rather than referring to it as an accident or unexpected passing, experts say. However, avoid sharing details about the manner of suicide, since someone else could use that information to harm themselves.
Counseling and other mental health resources to help individuals impacted by the suicide deal with their trauma and grief. Julie Cerel, director of the Suicide Prevention and Exposure Lab at the University of Kentucky, says that her research shows, on average, 135 people are affected by each suicide.
Guidelines on funerals or memorials. To reduce the risk of suicide contagion, any memorial sites or activities should not glorify, vilify or stigmatize the deceased student or their death.
A clear vision of future prevention efforts. Many suicide researchers say postvention is a form of prevention. It presents an opportunity to recognize risk factors such as depression and implement ongoing mental health support for the community."...
..."How to prevent suicide's spread and heal vulnerabilities
According to best practices emerging from research, a postvention plan (which should be developed ahead of time, and ready to deploy immediately after any death by suicide) should include:
A defined team that will handle the response. This may include college or university leadership, counseling staff, campus security, residence hall management, the school's communications team, legal advisors, and others.
A method of communicating the news of the suicide directly to students, staff and the wider community. It's important to acknowledge the death was a suicide, rather than referring to it as an accident or unexpected passing, experts say. However, avoid sharing details about the manner of suicide, since someone else could use that information to harm themselves.
Counseling and other mental health resources to help individuals impacted by the suicide deal with their trauma and grief. Julie Cerel, director of the Suicide Prevention and Exposure Lab at the University of Kentucky, says that her research shows, on average, 135 people are affected by each suicide.
Guidelines on funerals or memorials. To reduce the risk of suicide contagion, any memorial sites or activities should not glorify, vilify or stigmatize the deceased student or their death.
A clear vision of future prevention efforts. Many suicide researchers say postvention is a form of prevention. It presents an opportunity to recognize risk factors such as depression and implement ongoing mental health support for the community."...
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