The Messages of Hope Event organized by multiple student services for Suicide Prevention Week was held at Georgia Southern University for the week of Sept. 9.​
​
Students participated in the week-long event to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention at the Russell Union. The Office of Student Activities, Health Services and the Counseling Center teamed up to organize the event.
According to data from the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide ranks second in causes of death among teens and young adults. Suicide ranks tenth in the overall cause of death in the US.
During the whole week, students had the opportunity to decorate suicide awareness ribbons and write messages of comfort and encouragement on rocks. Keisha Lockhart, a first-year public health graduate student at GSU, and several volunteers placed the rocks in different spots on campus.
​
“Students picked them up and took it with them and hopefully, [the rocks] helped to remind them that they aren’t alone,” Lockhart said.
​
Chandler Henderson, a senior finance major, took some rocks with her to give to a close friend who attempted suicide. “Ever since then, I would worry about her, so I support events like this. It’s important to find people to talk to, to support each other and to remind others that all things get better in time,” Henderson said.
​
“Question, Persuade, Refer” Training taught participants how to approach
the sensitive task of preventing someone from committing suicide and gave participants QPR certificates on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Counseling Center.
Maurice Nelson, GSU’s Coordinator of Diversity Education and Program Outreach for Multicultural Affairs, taught the QPR Training where he also shared some statistics about suicide in colleges. Nelson said that African American males, a community that he closely works with, are more likely to commit suicide according to research.
​
Nelson’s personal experience in keeping his fraternity brother from committing suicide inspired him to learn more about suicide prevention. “I realized how much of a stigma it is for people to talk about suicide, especially in communities that we most often serve,” Nelson said.
​
In addition to the line-up of events, Lanterns and Lyrics commenced at the Williams Center’s ballroom on Thursday night. Lanterns lit up the venue, and some students and faculty took the stage to sing songs and share poetry of encouragement and positivity.
​
Lockhart attended the event and said she was proud of her coworkers who shared deep and emotional messages. Lockhart said she felt good about the whole week for the good turnout.
QPR stresses the importance of noticing signs of someone suicidal because the leading risk factor for suicide in college students, according to College Degree Search, is prior suicidal behavior.