Suicide Prevention Grant Press Release                     

OSU receives grants to support suicide prevention activities and studies

Ohio State University recently was awarded two major federal grants for programs directed at suicide prevention for youth. 

Both awards were made through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services, and are among 46 grants totaling $26.7 million to support initiatives by states and on college campuses to prevent suicide and to enhance services for youth depression, other mental health problems, and substance abuse that put young people at risk for suicide.

The OSU Campus Suicide Prevention Program was awarded the maximum grant of $75,000 annually for three years to provide stronger coordination of efforts to prevent suicide and enhance services for Ohio State students with mental health problems and substance abuse that puts them at risk for suicide. The program is led by Darcy Haag Granello, associate professor of counselor education in the College of Education and Human Ecology, and more than 30 campus and community partners have signed on as partners in the grant. Louise Douce, director of Counseling and Consultation Services in the Office of Student Affairs, represents one of the core partners in the program. Other campus partners represent both high level and broad-based commitment to the project, and include such offices as Student Affairs, Residential Life, Student Wellness, the Graduate School, International Education, and both the Graduate and Undergraduate Student Government. President Karen Holbrook also has voiced her support to the project, noting in spite of the efforts that have been made by a variety of campus departments and individuals, I know there is still much work to be done. A coordinated effort will greatly enhance our ability to come together as a community to save lives. The ultimate outcome will be creation of an OSU Suicide Prevention Plan.

The other award, nearly $400,000 annually for three years, provides funding to assist suicide prevention programs throughout the state by providing training on ways to initiate or expand research-based, culturally competent approaches to early intervention for youth 11-18 who are at risk of suicide and those who may be experiencing undiagnosed, untreated mental disorders. It also includes making parent-approved risk assessment available, and a train the trainers aspect to increase the number of persons qualified in suicide assessment. Principal investigator for this grant is Paul F. Granello, associate professor of counselor education, who is chief science officer for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

Nationwide someone dies by suicide every 17 minutes. It is the second-leading cause of death in among college students (behind accidents), and the rate of increase is the 15-24 age bracket is rising steadily. Ohio State mirrors the national statistics, with 19 documented student suicides on the Columbus campus since 2000. Research indicates that nearly 1 percent of OSU students attempt suicide each year, and 7.5 percent have seriously considered it. Among those screened at intake in the counseling center in 2004, 16 percent reported that they had considered suicide and 3 percent had devised a plan and acquired means.

It is clear that suicide is a serious problem among college students, Douce said. Although causes of suicide vary, the vast majority of those who die by suicide have a mental illness, most often severe depression. Some recent studies of Ohio State students indicate that nearly 13 percent have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives. Rates of feeling hopeless, overwhelmed and exhausted are slightly higher than average. These conditions can be treated, but often the difficulty is in recognizing the symptoms and getting the person to seek and accept treatment. That is big part of what this plan attempts to do.

Major components of the project include:

• Developing a strong network among campus and community resources for screening, education, crisis management, policy development and outreach activities.
• Collecting and integrating new and existing data
• Developing a training program for persons who are in positions to identify students with potential suicide risks, such as residence life staff, graduate teaching assistants, and faculty
• Expanding education for all students and also to targeted high-risk groups
• Developing programs to reduce the stigma surrounding getting psychological help
• Assessing outcomes of efforts in order to advance the practice of suicide prevention on campuses

This program links both the academic and service sides of the university. We will not only be providing direct help to students, but we will also be studying and assessing the effectiveness of various strategies, so that there is a strong basis for building future efforts, both here at Ohio State and at other universities.

These two grants represent the latest events in a string of enhanced efforts at OSU for suicide prevention in Ohio. In 2005, The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF) was launched to promote suicide prevention as a public health issue and to advance awareness to support suicide prevention activities. The OSPF is housed in the counselor education program in the College of Education and Human Ecology. To develop the foundation, the Ohio Department of Mental Health partnered with the state Suicide Prevention Team, Ohio State University, and numerous public and private institutions, agencies, businesses, organizations, and advocacy groups across the state. In autumn, 2007, Paul and Darcy Haag Granello, both associate professors of counselor education at OSU, co-authored a book to assist persons in the helping professions to enhance training and skills in suicide prevention. Suicide: An essential guide for helping professionals and educators (Allyn & Bacon, 2007), is part of the on-going efforts at OSU to increase awareness and promote suicide prevention.