Prevent Suicide in Young Adults

Summary

NIMH Radio: Our NIMH partners are the eyes, ears, and legs of our research-based messages concerning the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. In this podcast, meet the leaders of two advocacy groups that disseminate critical mental health information to at-risk groups of various ages.

Transcript

Time: 00:03:14 | Size: 2.99 MB
Speaker: NIMH Partners
Description: NIMH Radio: Our NIMH partners are the eyes, ears, and legs of our research-based messages concerning the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. In this podcast, meet the leaders of two advocacy groups that disseminate critical mental health information to at-risk groups of various ages.
 

Announcer: NIMH Radio from Bethesda.

Announcer: The National Institute of Mental Health works with advocacy groups throughout the nation… dedicated to the mission of preventing suicide in young adults- one of the major at risk groups for suicide. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Week, NIMH spoke with two such groups… including the New York based JED Foundation and its executive director Courtney Knowles.

Courtney Knowles/ JED Foundation: We're focused on really protecting the emotional health of college students and we do that by promoting mental health and working to prevent suicide. We just got, recently, data back from a research survey we did with MTV and the Associated Press and it found that 13-percent of today's college students have been diagnosed with a mental health issue. And amazingly, 10-percent of them… 10-percent of college students have a friend who attempted suicide during the last year.

Announcer: This sense of urgency in reaching college age students… and their families… is shared by Alison Malmon- founder of the advocacy group Active Minds. For Alison, it became a personal mission after losing her brother to suicide. At the time, Brian Malmon was a junior at Columbia University...

Alison Malmon/ Active Minds: It's incredible. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. People this age- people my age should not be dying and so… there are so many of those people taking their own lives.

Announcer: Active Minds and the JED Foundation share the belief there should be greater awareness of mental health issues on college campuses. And speak of meaningful action steps for parents, loved ones and friends….

Courtney Knowles/ JED Foundation: I think the first step for families is just understanding a little bit more about what some of the mental health problems are- what the warning signs are and being able to have open dialogue among your family about your thoughts and feelings-how you're doing. I think just opening those lines of communications are huge because then it's going to make it more likely, if your child's struggling, that they're going to speak up or reach out for help.

Announcer: To find out more about the National Institute of Mental Health's Outreach Partnership activities go to www.nimh.nih.gov.

Announcer: This is NIMH Radio.