a newsletter for faculty and staff of Northeastern Illinois
University
Fall 2007
According
to the International Association of Suicide Prevention, each year approximately
one million people die by suicide worldwide, accounting for nearly 3% of all
world deaths. In teenagers and young adults aged 15-24, suicide is a leading cause
of death in many countries. In adults, suicide accounts for more deaths
than all wars and homicides combined. In
the US as well as most other countries, the risk of suicide increases with age,
with the highest rates experienced by those aged 65 and older. The causes and
associated factors change with age but many of the underlying
characteristics of suicidal behavior remain similar across age groups.
Children and young
adolescents (under age 15): Suicide among children and
young adolescents is very rare, although the risk is higher for those from
families with histories of parental violence, sexual or physical abuse,
addictions and suicidal behavior. Those
in foster care are particularly at risk because they often come from the most
dysfunctional family systems. School-based
mental health outreach programs and the training of
"gatekeepers" (teachers,
doctors and nurses) are seen as effective strategies to reduce this risk for
the young.
Adolescents and young
adults (age 15-24):
Youth suicide is a major public health problem and one of the primary target of
the federal government's suicide prevention efforts. While more young men die by
suicide than young women, young women make more attempts. adolescents are more likely to make impulsive
choices in general, and impulsive (rather than carefully-planned) suicidal
attempts as well. Both depression and
drug/alcohol abuse are strongly related to suicide in adolescents. During the 15-24 year old age range, the risk
for suicide rises with age, higher for those in their 20s than it is for those
in their mid-teens. Schools are
increasingly developing mental health programs and suicide prevention programs
for adolescents, because school is one of the most effective ways of reaching
large numbers of adolescents and young adults.
Adults: Suicide is a leading cause of death for adults, especially amongst
males. Women make more attempts, but men
are far more likely to die by suicide. There are a variety of possible reasons for this but high on the list is
that men are more likely to use firearms in a suicide attempt, and firearms are
a more immediately lethal choice than overdosing on pills or other
methods. Once the trigger is pulled,
there is no time to call a friend or have second thoughts. To reduce suicide risk in adults, the
International Association of Suicide Prevention suggests a strong focus on
improved identification, treatment and management of depression and the better
recognition of life stresses, social, family and related factors that may
contribute to the development of depression and suicidal behavior in this age
group. Taking a similar approach, NEIU's
suicide prevention efforts focus largely on helping faculty and staff to better
identify students who show signs of depression and other suicidal risk factors,
and facilitating their referral into effective treatment choices.
Older adults: In many countries the highest rates of suicide are amongst older
adults. Generally older men show much
higher risk than older women, with men living alone having the highest suicide
risk. The likely reason for this
increase in risk for older men living alone is isolation. Older adults are less likely to survive a
suicide attempt than younger individuals, perhaps because they make more
carefully planned and lethal attempts, motivated by a stronger desire to
die. Health issues and the social isolation
often accompanying increased age are strong factors associated with this
increase in suicidality. Older adults are have reduced risk of suicide
when they are socially connected, have supportive family and friends, ongoing
interests and hobbies, hold strong religious or spiritual beliefs, and have
adequate support during bereavement. Better treatment of depression in the elderly is also an effective step
in reducing their risk.
This information has been heavily
excerpted from "Suicide Prevention across the Life Span" an
initiative of the International Association of Suicide Prevention for World
Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September 2007. For the complete text of Suicide
Across the Life Span, click
here.
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Alcohol abuse is a serious issue on college campuses across the country, whether they be residential or commuter schools. Research at NEIU several years ago revealed that our commuter students use and abuse alcohol at roughly the same levels that are seen nationally. Not having residence halls does not insulate us from this problem. So knowing about alcohol use and abuse is important. What's the difference between alcohol abuse and
alcoholism?
1. Craving ~ A strong need, or urge, to drink
2. Loss of control ~ Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has
begun
3. Physical dependence ~ Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea,
sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking
4. Tolerance ~ The need to drink greater amounts to get the same high
How can you tell if someone is using or abusing
alcohol? What are the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse?
Answer the
following four questions to find out
if you or someone you know might have a drinking problem:
1. Have you ever felt you
should cut down on your drinking?
2. Have people annoyed you
by criticizing your drinking?
3. Have you ever felt bad or
guilty about your drinking?
4. Have you ever had a drink
first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?
One "yes" answer suggests a possible alcohol problem.
For more
information on alcohol, drinking or drug problems, contact the Counseling
Office, or click on the following links:
Alcoholics Anonymous,
American Psychological Association's information about addictions, or
About: Alcoholism & substance abuse.
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How many Northeastern
students come for counseling? Far more than you might expect. Compiling
statistics of last year's Counseling Office activities, we learned that the
office had met individually with almost 900 different
students last year, some for a single session, others for multiple sessions.
That's over 7.3% of all enrolled Northeastern students last year, more
than 1 in 14. Additionally, these numbers
are undercounts because: (1) they include only individual one-on-one contact,
not workshops or outreach seminars; and (2) because the office's new scheduling
and recordkeeping system was not fully implemented until after the start of the
fiscal year. The actual numbers are
higher.
An overall
look at counseling activity shows over 4,765 counseling hours scheduled last
year (July 2006-June 2007), approximately a 14% rise of the previous year.
|
Scheduled
Counseling Hours |
|
|
Psychological counseling
hours |
4,261 |
|
Career counseling
hours |
504 |
|
Total scheduled
counseling hours |
4,765 |
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As the
federal support for Northeastern's suicide prevention efforts ends in the fall
of 2008, the Counseling Office is exploring ways of continuing the educational
and outreach initiatives developed during the grant. Wider use of media and electronic avenues has
the potential benefit of reaching more students and staff. Since NEIU is a commuter campus, it only makes
sense that our information be available to them when they are off campus. Examples currently being explored include:
In all
these cases, the Counseling Office is attempted to develop or adapt creative
new ways to expand its outreach to Northeastern students, and to faculty and
staff,
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You can
contact the Counseling Office by:
Read
previous Newsletters here: Fall
2006 Newsletter Spring 2007
Newsletter
Feedback? We are always interested in your
feedback. If you would like us to write about something of particular interest
to you, or you have an idea of how this can be more helpful, drop us an email and let us know.
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Published
9.2007
Counseling Office
Psychological and
Career Counseling
Northeastern Illinois University
Office of Student Affairs