Suicide prevention is everyone’s business and anyone can participate in National Suicide Prevention Week. Stigma about mental health and receiving help keeps far too many people away from the resources that could assist them. Mental health is just as important as physical health. While many students go to the gym, watch their weight and eat healthy, the vast majority do not always pay the same attention to their mental health. For students who are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed, recognizing and being aware of their mental health can help prevent the development a mood disorder such as depression.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health recognizes World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, 2013. To coincide with this date of world awareness, the Office of Student Development at Brescia University is providing free ‘Screening for Mental Health’ on September 10th from 11:30am-12:30pm in the Lobby of the Campus Center, to help students determine if they may be suffering from a mental health condition. The screenings are not intended to be diagnostic, but they are excellent indicators of whether further help should be sought.
Another easy, free and anonymous way to stay on top of your mental health is to take an online screening. This is available to the Brescia University community at http://www.ulifeline.org/brescia/ Click on “Get started with the SELF EVALUATOR.” (The Self-Evaluator was developed by Duke University and The Jed Foundation.)
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention: September 13, 2013 at 1pm-2:30pm in Room 210-Science Building. This training is free & open to any interested person. Please email [email protected] if you plan to attend; you still may come if not pre-registered! “QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — 3 simple steps that anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. Each year thousands of Americans, like you, are saying “Yes” to saving the life of a friend, colleague, sibling, or neighbor.” www.qprinstitute.com
On Saturday, September 14th, the Owensboro Regional Suicide Prevention Coalition hosts the 6th Annual Lifesavers Walk, beginning & ending at the Owensboro HealthPark, 1006 Ford Ave. Registration begins at 9am. Walk begins at 10am. The event and t-shirts are free. Donations are accepted. The purpose of the walk is to keep in our memories those who have died by suicide and for those who are struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. We’re also walking to raise awareness of suicide and the need for suicide prevention. Brescia University is represented on the board of ORSPC by Dr. Linda Girouard, board representative for Higher Education and Eva Atkinson, board member at large. They assisted in the planning of this event. www.orspc.org