THE DAILY WILDCAT Printing the news, sounding the alarm, and raising hell since 1899
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
DAILYWILDCAT.COM
VOLUME 107 • ISSUE 99
Breaking the silence In the past two years, six UA students have committed suicide. One mother shares the pain in hopes of preventing more deaths. BY BRITTNY MEJIA The Daily Wildcat
There are days when Liz Campbell hides in the back room of the building where she works in Scottsdale, Ariz., when she can’t handle being out on the floor. On those days, the thoughts of her daughter’s suicide overwhelm her and force her to take a few minutes to collect herself. “I’m not sure that you ever really heal from it. You just simply learn not to let it dominate your life,” Liz Campbell said. “It will never go away.” When her daughter Caitlin Campbell chose to attend the UA in 2010, she went without her close-knit group of friends, who were heading off to Arizona State University. She made a new group of friends in Tucson and was involved in a theater group. However, about two years after she arrived, a friend at the university killed herself. Less than a year later, Caitlin Campbell walked into the desert and took her own life.
Student suicides
Of the 18 reported student deaths in 2012, four of them were suicides, according to the Dean of Students Office. In 2013 the number decreased, with two suicides out of 15 reported student deaths. While the Dean of Students Office tries to track the cause of death for all students, sometimes families do not wish to disclose or there is a lack of information, said Kendal Washington White, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, which could mean the number of suicides is higher. When the Dean of Students Office is notified of a student’s death, staff will try to learn as much about the student as possible and notify key individuals and departments, such as instructors, Residence Life and the necessary academic departments. Staff will also work with Counseling and Psychological Services to provide support to peers of the deceased student and will contact parents of the student to offer support with administrative issues, such as packing and moving items out of a residence hall and closing out the student’s records. The office also conducts follow-up with those impacted to provide continued support, White said. “We try to do as much as we can to support the family members of the deceased student, but also to provide support for the university community,” White said. When Caitlin Campbell killed herself in January 2013, Liz Campbell said her family was assigned an advocate who collected her daughter’s records. The advocate also went to each of her professors to inform them of what had happened. The school also reached out to Caitlin Campbell’s younger sister, Kiri Campbell, a freshman at the time, to let her know she could take the semester off from classes if she needed to. “The people at the U of A were fabulous,” Liz Campbell said. “It was incredibly well orchestrated and made it so easy for us. They were really very good and just very kind and understanding.” White said the most important goal of the Dean of Students Office is to provide students with help. The office allows for campus members to report concerns about a student with a phone call or via an online
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of 18 student deaths in 2012 were suicides
form on its website. From there, staff can reach out to the student in question either over email or on the phone to provide support. “Being part of a community means we watch out for each other and care for each other,” White said. “It doesn’t matter what your role is on campus — if you see something, say something.” Liz Campbell said she wasn’t sure what the outcome would have been if her daughter had received more intervention and outreach efforts. “I just don’t know if that would have had an impact on her or not,” Liz Campbell said. “But if it only impacts one student, I would be good with that.”
Suicide prevention outreach
At the UA, there are a wide variety of suicide prevention efforts, including media campaigns and communication training for students, staff and faculty, as well as programs to help students de-stress. The Question, Persuade, Refer training provides background on college students and suicides and includes interactive role playing where participants can practice what they’ve learned. Since 2009, about 1,000 students, staff and faculty have been trained through the program. “Through this training, we’re not trying to ask people to be mental health clinicians,” said David Salafsky, director of Health Promotion and Preventive Services. “We’re just asking people to be curious about getting the skills so that they can raise these issues, and how to communicate effectively to try and get someone help.” In addition to the training, students can also seek help
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of 15 student deaths in 2013 were suicides
through CAPS, which provides treatment for anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, family problems and other issues. “We care about this. … Suicide is a highly preventable problem,” director of CAPS Marian Binder said. “Most of the time people do not want to die, they are just looking for a way out of a painful problem. If we give them hope, we can help them see other alternatives.” Before Caitlin Campbell came to the UA, she had seen a psychologist, psychiatrist and counselors and tried acupuncture and a holistic approach. Liz Campbell said her daughter was open to trying these things because she knew “there was something off.” Liz Campbell said that although Caitlin Campbell visited counselors in Tucson, she did not seek out any help at the university, which she believes was because her daughter wanted to be known for her academics and not for having mental health issues. Salafsky said one of the most significant issues Campus Health Service staff is facing is trying to help students who don’t want to be connected with mental health issues.
SUICIDE, 3
Suicide is the
#2
cause of death among college students