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Jonah Grillo
Tanya Grae
ENC2135
25 October 2016
Suicide and Depression Amongst College Students
Suicide and depression is a major issue for people of all ages. However, these effects are
particularly dangerous for a young adult, typically between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four
while they are still easily manipulable and sensitive to new environments. Suicide is the second
highest cause of death among teenagers in America as of 2014. In recent years its been shown
that students have stressed over loneliness, money problems, relationships, parental issues,
helplessness, and hopelessness, as well as other factors. A part of the reason suicide and
depression are so high in college undergraduate students is due to the transition to a new
environment, along with the desire to fit in or be equal to the other students. Suicide and
depression are too common among college undergraduate students.
For many people, college represents the stage in their life where they can recreate
themselves and shape their life towards what will hopefully become their career. However, the
transition from home to college can be crippling for anyone. The change in schedule,
environment, and social life can throw someone off, causing thoughts of uncertainty and selfdoubt. This was the case of Kathryn DeWitt, an accomplished high school athlete and scholar
who cracked under to stress and pressure of college and committed suicide. DeWitt went from
straight As in high school and being very accomplished to feeling lost and insignificant
compared to the people she met. One friend was a world-class figure skater. Another was a
winner of the Intel Science competition. Everyone around me was so spectacular and so
amazing, and I wanted to be just as amazing as they are. (Suicide on Campus and the Pressure
of Perfection. It is more common than many people realize to compare oneself negatively
towards others that people meet in college. Add trying to compete with individuals who seem to
have it all in life on top of classes and the stress begins to build up. Some women attended class
wearing full makeup. DeWitt had acne. They talked about their fantastic internships. She was
still focused on the weeks homework. Friends lives, as told through selfies, showed them
having more fun, making more friends and going to better parties. Even the meals they posted to
Instagram looked more delicious. - (Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection).
Many students gauge their self-worth through how they compare to other people, and with social
media being such an integral part of modern day society it is extremely easy to simply pick up a
phone and see how friends have gone out and had a great time the night before while sitting at
home writing a paper.

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The anxiety that comes from doubting oneself can lead to depression. There are other
ways to become depressed, however. For instance, a traumatic event such as the death of a
family member or loved one can cause someone with no previous symptoms to become
depressed. The best way to help depression is to take early action to prevent suicide. Countless
websites are set up with twenty-four-hour hotlines so that people never have to be alone when
things get dark. Suicide.org has over thirty table for the different causes of suicide and
depression, as well as help tabs to assist in recovering from depression.
In a study done at four different schools in the Midwest and Southeast surveyed 1,455
college students to gauge their mental well-being. The study showed that roughly thirty-five
percent of the populace that participated was male and sixty-five percent female. The largest
grade group were the freshman at thirty-two percent of the participants and the smallest group
being graduate students accounting for 5 per cent. They were asked four questions: (a) whether
they had experienced depression since coming to college, and if so, the reasons for that
depression; (b) whether they had thought about or attempted suicide since coming to college, and
if so, why; (c) what kind of counseling they had sought if depressed or suicidal, and if so,
whether it was helpful; and (d) how their college or university could more efficiently deal with
the problem. (Susan Furr 5). Nine percent of these students verbally admitted to having suicidal
thoughts, while one percent admitted to having tried to commit suicide. Thats translates to about
131 students in the study having suicidal thoughts and 15 having tried to kill themselves.
Compare this to the one thousand plus students that do commit suicide every year; the real
numbers are huge in contrast to this small study. Some of the causes of the depression and
eventual suicide are as follows: money problems, parental problems, grade problems,
loneliness, hopelessness, legal problems, helplessness, relationship problems with
boyfriend/girlfriend, other, and don't know.- (Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of
Perfection).
As a college student, all these problems can be very real to a young adult, especially if
they have had no prior experience in the matter. Money problems are stressful because it directly
impacts what someone can do, forcing the choice between what is wanted and what is needed.
Grades are one of the most common issues being as that is the key component of college. If
youre trying and still get bad grades, it can be very upsetting and makes you question if the
money and time youve spent have been worth it. Relationship problems can often be the catalyst
for people. Such was the case with my friend.
After his girlfriend had broken up with him, Wesley Spano was having trouble focusing.
This led to him falling behind in school for the first time in his life. Because of the stress, he was
dealing with he chose to quit the UF baseball team, an important aspect of his entire life. This led
him to feel helpless and depressed being as he felt he no longer had the two staples in his life,
grades and baseball. This resulted in the quick spiral out of control that led to three suicide
attempts. First, he overdosed on prescription pills and went to the hospital, the second he climbed
into the stadium and contemplated jumping until a friend talked him out of it. Third, he made a
noose that his roommate had him throw out after talking him through the night. One would think
that after a failed suicide attempt people would be more likely to seek help in battling their

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depression, but more often than not people repeat suicide attempts until they eventually succeed.
This was also the case for Wesley Spano. On January 13, 2016, his older brother Alec Spano
tracked his phone and found him in his car. The police immediately came and pronounced him
dead. The shock of this has crippled his entire friend group. The actions Wesley took have
plunged his friends into a deep depression that they have been fighting their ways to get out of.
As proof of just how much of an impact Wesleys suicide had caused, it was reported that over
twelve hundred persons came to the funeral home for his Sunday viewing service and over six
hundred people crowded into Nativity Church for his funeral on Monday. ("Wesley M. Spano's
Obituary on Sun-Sentinel).
Wesleys actions not only affected him but the twelve hundred who came to mourn him.
This is the case for many of the young adults who decide to take their lives in college. The stress
the students encounter, through school, work, etc., has caused the number of suicides to increase.
When comparing the journal Suicide and Depression in College Students to the journal
Suicide and Depression in College Students: A Decade Later, there was an increase in the
number of students who committed suicide from 1.4 percent to 1.7 percent. (Westfield 7) (Furr
4).
Students frequently reported (44.5%) that they had experienced being so depressed it is
hard to function.The percent of students was saying that on three or more occasions they felt so
depressed it was difficult to function was 22.1%. (Kisch 12). The thing about suicide and
depression is that many people dont realize what it is. Its a monster that infects and alters ones
life in a scary and dangerous way. They are robust enough to leave people in a vegetative state
for days on end. Its like living life while floating underwater. Everything is numb and
meaningless, even the things that are important. Days can go by without eating or sleeping, just
sitting and existing. This beast is often underestimated. This leads to suicide being the second
highest cause of death among young adults. The media doesnt give much attention to these
issues for fear of the copycat effect. The copycat effect states that hearing details about suicide
will spur others to ponder or commit suicide. Due to the fear of causing more suicides college
students are left in a state of ignorance. A student may wake up tomorrow feeling isolated and
alone, all the while not knowing that hundreds of other students on the same campus are feeling
exactly how they do.
For several reasons, students dont seek out help if they are experiencing signs of
depression or suicide. The first reason is not knowing what to do. Not all college campuses have
a counseling center where students can go and talk to a counselor. Even those that do dont
always have a fast response time. After Wesleys suicide a friend tried to go to the University of
Floridas Counseling Center just to be told that there was a two week waiting period. This is
almost as bad as having nothing. When people do seek out the help, they arent always in a good
state of mind. Often people will run to counseling as a last ditch effort, so if they are turned
away, its as if they are being told they arent worth the effort. The second reason people dont
seek help is that they are scared. No one wants to admit they need help, so the thought of being
put on medication that causes people to turn into a zombie prevents many from seeking help.

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That being said, there are many different ways to get help without the fear of losing
oneself to medicine. Perhaps the best place to start is with friends. My friends and I have gotten
together countless time since Wesleys funeral just to check up on each other and see who needs
help moving forward. Im usually the one trying the hardest to help everyone even though I may
need the most help. Peer support groups work because there is a lesser sense of pressure to open
up if all the member has gone through the same source of trauma. Another good place to go it a
suicide survivor support group. Sometimes it helps to hear a third party talk about a significant
issue in their life that is similar. A newer form of aid is social media. People post articles about
suicide and how it affects them, as well as pictures and posts showing their support to suicide
survivors and individuals pondering suicide. This new form of support can be fantastic because it
reaches out to people who wouldnt have received the support otherwise.
A different path is to look for websites. Suicide.org has over thirty tabs for the various
kinds of suicide and depression. This allows people the ability to get to their problem without
having to talk to anyone. Additionally, Suicide.org has two toll-free hotlines that you could call.
One line will give you the name and address of counseling in your area. The other line will give
you someone you can talk to that will try to help. This is just one website out of the hundreds,
possibly thousands, on suicide. All you have to do is acknowledge you need help. Even if you go
to counseling, it does not mean that you will be put on medication, thought that frightens a lot of
people. We want to be strong and work through our problems, but sometimes we need to talk this
out with someone who knows what is going on. The most important thing about counseling is to
find someone who you feel comfortable with so that you can open up to them.
As painful as it is to admit it, suicide is a selfish act. It not only ends victim's life, but it
can destroy the lives of people that love you. In a study titled Language Use and Depression, it
was discovered that those who are currently depressed use me, myself, and I more than those
who were formerly depressed or never depressed. (Rude 17) Additionally, the behavior starts to
change. It usually starts with something subtle, such as trying new things that arent good for you
or stop doing things you usually do. It can get more drastic to the point where people ask if you
are okay. In a situation like this, it is possible to get help early on and save the person. However,
suicide can be a sudden thing. Such was the case with Zachary Gustinger. He was one of the
happiest kids with a good family and good friends. He had recently found a new job; he was
doing well in school, and he made plans to go spearfishing over the weekend. On February 1,
2016, he woke up like he did every day, ate breakfast, took his friends to school, then left and
jumped off a parking garage. It was such a sudden change in his behavior people swear that he
was possessed. It is unclear how long, if at all, Zachary was depressed, but he did not show the
signs which just goes to show just how threatening suicide can be.
Suicide is presented as a tabu. No one wants to talk about it, resulting in many young
adults not understanding how or why it happens. Once its is exposed to someone they struggle
to grasp what happened. However, by looking at this topic from a more statistical perspective,
suicide and depression seem to be more rationalized. The sheer number of students who go
through these problems just go to show how pertinent suicide and depression is. This is why
there should be more public talk about the topic to let students know they arent alone. Songs

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like Adams Song by Blink 182 shake people because they talk about suicide. In fact, the
inspiration for that song came when the band received a suicide note from a young fan that he
was giving to his parents. Guitarist Tom DeLonge: "The story behind that is Mark read a letter
someone sent him as an email, that a kid wrote before he committed suicide to his parents. We
got together and wrote this sad, slow song. It came out sadder than we ever thought it would,
which is good too. Any song that moves you is good. Some people listen to it and go 'Wow, that's
a real bum-out of a song.' But it's one of those things, a story of a kid not being happy in his life,
crossed with us being lonely on tour. At the end of it, there's a better way out; there are better
things to do than kill yourself." (Song Facts: Blink 182). At the time that the song came out it
was received with mixed reviews due to its inherent nature. However, for many young people,
this was the closest thing to being told that suicide is not as uncommon as they think that they
would ever get.
It is through the little messages like these people are exposed to the pain and suffering
that suicide can wreak. By talking about suicide without stating any specific details, it educates
people on what it is like to be dealing with suicidal thoughts and tendencies while avoiding
setting off a trigger and causing a copycat effect. With so much in the way of help and support,
the only thing holding college students back from searching for help is themselves. Universities
should take more of a proactive role in making sure that their students are mentally healthy
instead of stressing them out over which class will dictate their future career.

Works Cited
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"College Student Suicide." At Suicide.org! at Suicide.org! at Suicide.org! N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct.
D'zurilla, Thomas J., Edward C. Chang, Edgar J. Nottingham, and Lino Faccini. "Social Problem-

solving Deficits and Hopelessness, Depression, and Suicidal Risk in College Students and Psychiatric
Inpatients." Journal of Clinical Psychology 54.8 (1998): 1091-107. Web.
- Furr, Susan R., John S. Westefeld, Gaye N. Mcconnell, and J. Marshall Jenkins. "Suicide and
Depression among College Students: A Decade Later." Professional Psychology: Research and Practice
32.1 (2001): 97-100. Web.

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Hunt, Justin, and Daniel Eisenberg. "Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking Behavior Among

College Students." Journal of Adolescent Health 46.1 (2010): 3-10. Web.

- Kisch, Jeremy, E. Victor Leino, and Morton M. Silverman. "Aspects of Suicidal Behavior,
Depression, and Treatment in College Students: Results from the Spring 2000 National College Health
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- Rude, Stephanie, Eva-Maria Gortner, and James Pennebaker. "Language Use of Depressed and
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- Scelfo, Julie. "Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection." The New York Times. The New
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Westefeld, John S., and Susan R. Furr. "Suicide and Depression among College Students."

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- "ZACH GUSTINGER's Obituary on the Miami Herald." The Miami Herald. N.p., 5 Feb. 2016.
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- By Far the Saddest Song to Include the Words "Laughed the Loudest" and "Apple Juice".Kria C. Skagland, Slovakia. "Adam's Song by Blink-182 Songfacts." Adam's Song by Blink-182 Songfacts. N.p.,
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