Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, claiming the lives of nearly 4,000 people between the ages of 15 and 24 in 2001, according to the American Association of Suicidology. Still, the rate of suicide at UW-Madison has remained remarkably low, due in large part to the university's pro-active approach to this extremely sensitive issue. Assistant Dean of Students Ervin Cox pointed out despite suicide's status as a national problem, there were zero suicides last year at UW-Madison, a school of more than 40,000 students.
\We are below the national average for a school this size for successful suicides,"" Cox said.
There are several factors behind UW-Madison's success in suicide prevention, ranging from an excellent housing staff, adequate counseling and luck.
""[University housing does] a good job of training residence hall staff and our office automatically makes referrals for students who are at the point where they have attempted [suicide],"" Cox said.
Larry Davis, assistant director of residence life for university housing, explained that the low incidence of suicides among students is not indicative of a lack of risk or actions by the university to safeguard students.
He continued defining the difference between suicide gestures and suicide attempts. Suicide gestures, Davis said, are a cry for help and are rarely successful attempts. Much less common, suicide attempts are more serious and the intent of actual suicide is more real, although both kinds of incidences provoke a university response.
""If someone really tried to commit suicide, without being too graphic, if you wanted to do it you could,"" Davis said, adding, ""As a general rule, male students complete suicide and women attempt suicide.""
The proactive approach of universities in dealing with suicide threats is due to a genuine concern for student welfare but also to protect the universities themselves, said Dr. William Flanagan, dean of students at Beloit College. Flanagan cited a lawsuit being brought against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology by the parents of a suicide victim who were not informed by the university of the student's suicidal feelings prior to his death.
""Most of the institutions at this point, if they have information about a student who is suicidal, they need to aggressively pursue that,"" Flanagan said. ""The whole issue is how invasive and how aggressive should institutions be when there is a possibility that a student may be suicidal.""
Dr. Bob McGrath, director of counseling and consultation for University Health Services, said counselors give attention to each patient who states even a modest desire to commit suicide. McGrath said each patient they see must fill out an intake form with a question that asks students about their suicidal thoughts and impulses. Students are asked to rate the strength of these impulses on a five-point scale.
""If someone marks a two or higher we follow up on it, we don't just assume that if they're in counseling then they're OK,"" he said.
Illustrating the seriousness of the suicide threat at UW-Madison, McGrath said, ""I would say that 30 percent of our clients have suicidal thinking to the point where it is a concern.""
