A Suicide Prevention Summit held workshops and training sessions Monday to raise awareness throughout Dane County about ways to avert suicide.
The summit, in its second year, was put on by Helping Others Prevent and Educate about Suicide, or HOPES, a nonprofit organization run by volunteers.
According to Sue Opheim, co-founder of HOPES, people from all walks of life should know the signs of suicide and mental illness.
“We had the summit to gather people together and share information,” Opheim said. “We believe that with education, treatment and support people can survive and can be taught that in the time that they are down, we can offer them help.”
Those who attended the summit participated in workshops, including a training session called “Question, Persuade, Refer,” which is a three-step process concerned individuals should use to identify those who might be considering suicide.
For college-age individuals — teens and those in their early twenties — suicide is the third leading cause of death in the nation, but Opheim said it is the second leading cause of death in Wisconsin for that particular age group.
“We know that suicide is one of the more common causes of death among college students and people this age,” said Sarah Van Orman, executive director of University Health Services.
Dennis Christoffersen, director for clinical and crisis services at UHS, said UHS met Monday with the Offices of the Dean of Students to develop a better campus-wide resource for faculty, students and parents to reach out to distressed and depressed students.
“We thought about tapping into ‘Question, Persuade, Refer,’ or developing something specific for our own campus,” Christoffersen added.
Even if individuals did not attend the summit, it was still a benefit because it was a way to let people know help is available, said Christoffersen.
“It gets people talking, it de-stigmatizes [suicide]. There are still people that really want to help, but they are worried to bring it up,” Christoffersen said. “It gives people the permission to express their concern. I think that it is very positive; much more of that is needed.”
An audit of counseling services for the entire UW System highlighted some resource challenges the colleges and universities may have with keeping up with counseling demands, said Chuck Pruitt, Board of Regents vice president.
“[According to] the audit, campuses by every account are doing a good job with the resources they have. The real question is, ‘Do we need more resources?'” Pruitt said.
Opheim said a statewide effort is underway to establish suicide prevention in each community, reaching individuals county by county.
“[HOPES] is asking other people to participate (in suicide preventative measures). We would like to see UW-Madison to join and MATC to join,” Opheim added. “We believe you know your culture better, so you know best, how and where to treat.”
According to Opheim, signs of depression and suicide are somewhat the same between adults and college-age individuals, but one of the most notable signs among college-age individuals are changes in sleep, eating and mood habits. If an individual is prevented from committing suicide and receives treatment, there is a 90 percent success rate.
