In mid-April, Counseling and Wellness Services and the recently-reestablished National Alliance on Mental Illness collaborated to host a Walk for Hope event. Students were able to walk a mile and learn more about suicide awareness, which has becoming increasingly important in the present time.
Walk for Hope
On Monday, April 14, students gathered at BART to walk a mile for suicide awareness.
The walk was a combined effort between CWS (Counseling and Wellness Services) and a new campus organization, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) on campus.
"We had over 40 people attend the walk," said Sara Baker, Health & Wellness Program Manager at CWS, "all of which were able to walk away with resources as well as t-shirts and other materials for suicide awareness and prevention."
NAMI was also able to comment on the success of the event.
Bryce Keels, president of NAMI on Campus, said, "We had more engagement than we had anticipated. This being our first event as a newly reactivated chapter, I feel it was amazing."
Suicide awareness and prevention
"Suicide Awareness is vital to reducing the number of suicides," said Keels. "People may have the idea that talking about suicide leads to more suicide when this is not the case. Starting the discussion is so important, as it may lead to someone feeling comfortable to seek mental health services."
He added that this discussion is particularly vital in higher education, as college is an "extremely stressful time" for many students.
As times continue to change, as well as the added stress of higher-level courses,
"Mental health challenges are so common on college campuses, and unfortunately suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, even though it is often preventable," stated Baker.
Research supports the claim that prioritizing students' mental health and reducing stigma around mental illness may be effective in reducing suicide rates.
According to the NAMI website, "46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition — but research suggests that 90% may have experienced symptoms of a mental health condition."
Campus Resources
NAMI on Campus aims to empower students to seek mental health services for themselves or a loved one.
"We will serve the Wright State University community through various events that bring students a feeling of belongingness and support," said Keels.
CWS is located in 053 Student Union, and students can make an appointment at wright.edu/cws or walk in for a crisis appointment.
"Counseling & Wellness Services provides individual and group therapy, psychiatric services, and health education and promotion to our [WSU] community," stated Baker.
Raider Cares is a 24/7 crisis lifeline available to all students at 937-775-4567.
