According to a Mayo Clinic article, 44% of college students had symptoms of depression, and 15% had seriously considered suicide in the last year. The article adds that almost 75% of the students experiencing these symptoms don’t seek help.
“I had serious depression in high school and was definitely too scared to ask for help,” says an SAU student, “I didn’t want people to see me differently, or as someone lacking the strength to just get over it. I feel like if people talked about it more, I would have felt more comfortable coming out about it.”
Suicide Within the Local Community
The topic of depression and suicide reaches farther than college campuses, and college students, however. The Davenport community has recently felt the weight of this tragedy, with multiple community members passing away from suicide just as recently as January 20th of this year. A local man jumped from the I-74 bridge just after officers arrived to help, according to this KWQC article posted later that night.
With these recent events, Haley DeGrave, founder and CEO of the Gray Matters Collective, posted a petition asking for signatures to install a 3,400-foot net under the I-74 bridge to help prevent future suicides from occurring there.
Mental Health America tells us that major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting over 21 million Americans. With many people struggling with depression and suicidal ideation, resources have been implemented around the world, including crisis hotlines, suicide prevention training, and other 24-hour mental health resources.
Suicide Resources for St. Ambrose Students
The St. Ambrose Counseling Center serves as a resource for university students struggling with depression, as well as for students seeking more education on such topics. Amber Dopler, a Mental Health Outreach and Prevention Specialist at SAU, says more about what is available for students.
“The Counseling Center provides free, confidential counseling services to students and also assists students in connecting with resources in the community, including clinicians trained in specific treatment and providers who prescribe medication if needed.” Dopler finishes by explaining that “students on our campus do not need to struggle alone.”
In addition to personal counseling resources, the Counseling Center provides QPR training, which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. QPR training equips people to recognize signs of suicidal thinking and steps to provide support, hope, and resources.
“On our campus, 97% of students who complete QPR indicate that they would recommend the training to a friend,” Dopler says. You can find upcoming training in the “Suicide and Crisis Resources” link on the Counseling Center Link Tree page.
Depression often convinces people they have no way out, and no control, but Jaxson Eisenbarth, a QPR-trained Res Life staff member, tells a different story and offers a different ending.
“We learned that telling someone else how you feel is a great first step in taking control of your thoughts and really addressing the reason behind them. This idea aims to help a person understand and overcome rather than continue to be in pain.”
Depression thrives in silence, but support starts with connection. Counseling, QPR training, and crisis resources, SAU students have access to help anytime they need. Whether it’s a counselor, trusted adult, trained peer, or friend, no student has to struggle alone – and help is always readily available.
