The University Health Center held a panel discussion on suicide awareness November 18 in the Colony Ballroom at Stamp Student Union between 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The Suicide Awareness Health and Education Training (S.A.H.E.T.) program, run by the University Health Center’s Mental Health Services, sponsored the discussion to commemorate Suicide Awareness and Prevention Week.

Nearly 40 students and staff attended the discussion that began with the statement printed on the front of the program: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.

According to psychiatrist and University Health Center Director of Mental Health Services Dr. Marta J. Hopkinson, the warning signs of a person exhibiting suicidal tendencies include sudden mood swings, engaging in “death wish” activities such as reckless driving, giving away of possessions, isolating one’s self from people in general, or even bringing up suicide in conversation.

The 2009 National College Health Assessment shows that 9.4 percent of students reported seriously considering, at least once, to attempt suicide and 1 percent of students reported they actually attempted to commit suicide at least once, according to Hopkinson.

According to Amy Martin, the associate director of North Campus Resident Life, a dorm resident who commits suicide affects a number of people, which include family members, fellow residents, staff, and faculty.

She exclaimed how feelings of guilt are especially common among resident assistants, who feel responsible, to some extent, for the incident. “It’s a lot for them to sort through,” said Martin.
Junior public health major Morgane Cibotti shared her personal experience after her friend Lance Healy committed suicide in Centreville Hall in the fall of 2007.

Cibotti’s story told how relatively early the incident happened and how she had just started college that semester when she met Healy and all the other residents on her floor.

According to Cibotti, living in the residence halls was a new, positive experience that meant always having someone to eat with, hang out with, talk to, etc. Cibotti expressed how she experienced all these things with Healy to a great extent.

“I thought we could talk about anything,” said Cibotti.

While her voice gradually choked up, she recalled how she and Healy went up to the top of Byrd Stadium and talked about the Red Sox.

Two days later, Healy died.

Her eyes welled up as she talked about the guilt she felt. “We had only known him for two months,” said Cibotti. “How were we supposed to help?”

To this day, the emotions she experienced are far from gone. “It’s two years later and those feelings are still here,” said Cibotti.

University of Maryland alumnus A.J. Arrese recalled how he, during a state of depression, attempted to commit suicide in his car through carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Depression is a nasty thing,” said Arrese.

From his experience, Arrese has learned to constructively use bad situations to his advantage.

Arrese also argued how today’s society views suicide and depression as “taboo subjects,” especially among men, and advocated the need for people to not be afraid to seek help for themselves.

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