In 2015, NC State joined over 160 college campuses nationwide to offer Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training to students, faculty, and staff. The purpose of these trainings is to provide first-hand training in suicide prevention. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is currently the second-leading cause of death among youth ages 15-24, and it affects many college students both directly and indirectly.
Last year, there were approximately 24,000 suicide attempts on college campuses, according to the NC State Counseling Center website. However, suicide can be prevented, and it is possible for everyone, including students, learn to recognize the warning signs.
According to Colleen Grunhaus, the suicide prevention coordinator at NC State Prevention Services, the first signs of suicide are often small and can be easy to overlook, especially since those who are most at risk of suicide are also those who are least likely to seek mental health services.
“90 percent of people that commit suicide communicate their intentions to somebody in the week prior,” Grunhaus said. “But sometimes those communications are coded, and it might be something really indirect.”
During the QPR trainings, which are open to all students, faculty and staff at NC State, participants are taught to recognize the early signs of suicidal ideation, as well as the concrete steps they can take to help someone in need.
Grunhaus compared QPR to using CPR for a heart attack. According to Grunhaus, just as people who are not medical professionals can recognize and possibly save someone from a heart attack, it is possible for people outside the mental health profession to identify the risk of suicide.
“Before CPR was taught to laypeople, only medical professions knew how to do CPR, so people would have heart attacks in public,” Grunhaus said. “QPR allows people to save lives in a very similar way.”
According to Sam Chan, a mental health ambassador and third-year studying political science and communication, the trainings helped to start a necessary dialogue on campus.
“I didn’t realize how important [it is] to ask someone, ‘are you having thoughts of suicide?’” Chan said. “It’s always better to ask the question than not to ask.”
Grunhaus said that according to research, asking someone if they are considering suicide does not increase the risk of suicide, and in fact can be a necessary step in getting people the resources they need.
“All of our police officers are trained in crisis intervention, and [officers] can do risk assessments,” Grunhaus said.
The Counseling Center also offers same-day appointments to students who need urgent care and has a 24-hour crisis phone line.
“Our research tells us that asking people directly about suicide does not increase the likelihood,” Grunhaus said. “It does not increase thoughts of suicide. Instead, it decreases anxiety and helps the person feel like they’re not alone anymore, and brings down the barriers so that the person can feel like it’s okay to talk about it now.”
Chan supported the idea of QPR trainings for everyone, but reminded people to take care of themselves.
“Topics can be triggering, so make sure you are prepared before going in,” Chan said. “It’s okay to stop and take time for yourself.”
Grunhaus said that so far this semester, 420 people have been trained in QPR.
“The feedback we get is that they feel much more comfortable, much more confident in asking these questions, and they definitely would refer it to somebody else,” Grunhaus said.
Chan said that she also found that the trainings helped her to ask questions she might not have asked before and to help others access the resources they need, if it just means walking with someone to the Counseling Center.
“It’s simple, concrete, and people walk away with something very practical,” Grunhaus said. “It also gives them an opportunity to practice in session, something that is very difficult, so they can walk away with a greater comfort and confidence to do something challenging.”
Grunhaus also emphasized that students who are worried about the health of a friend should be careful not to neglect their own mental health.
“For the individual who might be struggling with this, I would say that they’re not alone, that they are never alone,” Grunhaus said, “that there’s always hope, and they are surrounded by resources and people who really care.”
The Counseling Center offers QPR trainings for all members of the NC State community. Signups are free and spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find out more information and sign up for a training session here.
