by Ginger Ambler | April 13, 2015

Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler sent the following message to the campus community April 13, 2015 - Ed.

Dear William & Mary Community,

There is no message worse than the one I share with you today. With profound sadness, I am writing to tell you of the death of one of our students, {P. S.}, a sophomore from Arlington, Va., who took his own life in the early morning hours today. The WMPD responded immediately after receiving a 911 call from one of his friends.

In 2013 {P. S.} graduated first in his class from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA. A talented student, he had yet to declare a major at W&M. {P. S.} was also a passionate performer. In January he played one of the swashbucklers in Sinfonicron Light Opera Company's The Pirates of Penzance, and he was to have performed this month in the premiere of a new W&M student-written, faculty-directed play. Many on campus have delighted in {P. S.'s} talent and wit, enjoying especially his comedic flair as a member of the university's Improvisational Theater (I.T.).
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TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY

This has been a difficult and painful year for the William & Mary family and many of us are grieving. I hope the following might be useful in the days and months ahead. Especially in the wake of the deaths that have affected our community, I want to share some information specifically about suicide and suicide prevention.

About Suicide

According to national resources such as the Jed Foundation and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), one in ten college students has at one time considered suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death nationally among those 15-24 years of age. Almost all who die by suicide are suffering from an emotional disorder, most commonly depression. As the AFSP notes, "90% of all people who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death." Therefore, identifying and treating these illnesses is especially important; someone with an untreated emotional disorder may be more likely to attempt suicide in the wake of stressful life events.

Recognizing Warning Signs

The most effective way to help in preventing suicide is to recognize warning signs, take those signs seriously, and respond appropriately. Fortunately, people who are suicidal CAN be helped with the proper treatment. Common warning signs of suicide include:
•Hopelessness
•Rage, uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge
•Acting recklessly or engaging in risky activities, seemingly without thinking
•Feeling trapped, like there is no way out
•Increased alcohol or drug use
•Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
•Anxiety, agitation, inability to sleep or sleeping all the time
•Dramatic mood changes
•Expressing no reason for living or no purpose in life
•Inability to see the future without pain
•Inability to make decisions or think clearly
•Decision to stop taking prescribed medication for depression or other psychological disorder
•Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

How To Respond if You are Concerned About Someone
•DO Listen and offer support in a non-judgmental way
•DO Help the person explore feelings
•DO Widen options and explore alternatives for problem solving
•DO Ask direct questions about the person's intentions; ask if the person is considering suicide
•DO Communicate your concern for the person's well being
•DO Recommend that the person contact a mental health professional
•DO Call a professional yourself and offer to accompany the person to an initial appointment
•DO Call the police if you believe the risk of suicide is immediate
•DON'T say "everything will be alright"
•DON'T dare the person to "do it"
•DON'T tell the person about someone who "has it worse"
•DON'T promise secrecy to the suicidal person
•DON'T leave the person alone if you believe the risk of suicide is imminent

William & Mary Resources

There are many campus resources available to give assistance to you and/or someone else in crisis. Looking out for friends and loved ones is an especially important part of helping to prevent suicide. In a community as close-knit as ours, we can do a great deal to reach out to one another in support.

EMERGENCY -- Call 911

The Counseling Center, {area code, 757} 221-3620

The Student Health Center, 221-4386

The W&M Police, 221-4596

The Dean of Students Office, 221-2510

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255

After hours, the dispatcher at the police department coordinates communication with all on-call professionals, including live-in residence life staff, the dean on-call, and the counselor on-call.

Dec. 7 2012 3:12 PM
Why are people more likely to kill themselves in springtime than during the holidays?

By Brian Palmer

The suicide rate does not peak during the holidays, and the media should stop saying it does, according to a report released Tuesday by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. In fact, the suicide rate is highest in spring and summer. The holiday suicide-spike myth persists because it has a convenient narrative: Lonely people become despondent around Christmastime. So why do people kill themselves in the spring?

Possibly because they interact more. Doctors first observed in the 1820s that suicide rates spike during late spring. Researchers have since postulated and tested all sorts of explanations for the global phenomenon, making this one of the most studied questions in psychiatry. There’s still no consensus, but evidence suggests it has to do with so-called sociodemographic factors. During the winter, many people go into semihibernation: They work less, see fewer people, and are exposed to less frustration and conflict. That all changes in the spring, when increased interaction with others and the stress of work may trigger suicidal thoughts. The theory is based on a couple of observations. First, the spring suicide peak is more pronounced among people employed on farms or in factories who experience greater seasonal variation in the intensity of work and social interactions. In addition, developing countries with a higher proportion of agricultural workers see more seasonal change in the suicide rate than do developed countries. The magnitude of seasonal changes in the suicide rate is more than 10 times higher in Uruguay, for example, than in Belgium. Researchers have also detected a smoothing out of the seasonal variation in suicides in recent decades as more people move from farm to office. (There are smaller peaks in other parts of the year. Cubicle workers are more likely to commit suicide in the fall than in the spring, as are mothers who send their children off to school in September.)

13 April 2015 Last updated at 09:38 BST

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Are you affected by this?

Samaritans provides emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or thoughts of suicide

Its number is 08457 90 90 90

Rethink Mental Illness has more than 200 mental health services and 150 support groups across England.

Its number is 0300 5000 927