Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Campus Suicide Prevention Program: Lessons learned and unique successes during the first year

The Fall 2005 National College Health Assessment found that during the past year, 60 percent of college students reported feeling hopeless, 42 percent said they felt so depressed they had difficulty functioning, and nearly 11 percent had considered attempting suicide. An estimated 1,088 suicides occur among college students each year (Silverman et. al., 1997). The complex problem of suicide and suicidal behaviors on campuses demands a multifaceted, collaborative, coordinated response. In 2005, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) provided 3-year grants to 21 institutions of higher education to help them prevent suicide and suicide attempts, and to enhance services for students with behavioral health problems that put them at risk for suicide or suicide attempts. Grantees build public health infrastructures by implementing activities such as conducting gatekeeper training; building early identification, crisis intervention, referral, and treatment networks between and among on- and off-campus resources; and providing suicide prevention education. This session presents a description of campus activities, major barriers encountered, and accomplishments. We also provide an analysis of “lessons learned” and unique successes as reported in grantees' first annual reports. Strategies for implementing activities varied across campuses, as did the specific populations targeted. Most grantees made considerable progress toward their stated goal for each activity implemented. However, a number of challenges did arise. Campuses also reported lessons learned in areas such as effective planning, constituency building, changing the campus culture and mentality regarding suicide prevention, and sustainability.