Campuses Send Anti-Suicide Message to Students

An exhibit that emphasizes alternatives to suicide and the resources available to depressed or mentally ill students was on display Wednesday at Mount San Jacinto College’s Menifee campus.

The “Send Silence Packing” presentation opened Wednesday on the quad of the Menifee Valley campus and moved to the UC Riverside campus.

The exhibit features 1,100 backpacks strewn on the ground, representing the average number of students who take their own lives every year. Some of the items bear pictures and stories of suicide victims.

The nonprofit organization Active Minds inaugurated the traveling exhibit in 2008 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Since then, it has been to more than 100 locations.

“Mental health issues are a leading impediment to academic success among college students,” according to ActiveMinds.org.

The organization noted that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, with about 1 in 4 Americans 18 years and older suffering from a diagnosable mental health disorder. According to statistics, half of all college students have had suicidal thoughts, with 1 in 10 seriously contemplating suicide.

Students in crisis can call (800) 273-8255 for help, or visit http://www.activeminds.org/issues-a-resources/mental-health-resources .

The Send Silence Packing exhibit appeared Thursday at UCR, below the Bell Tower, at 10 a.m.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of UCR