Fort Hays State University - Reveille Yearbook (Hays, KS)

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road leading nowhere

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by Kathy Doherty During the 1977 spring semester, a Wiest Hall resident died tragically in his room, the victim of an apparent suicide. The campus and the community were shocked. Each year an estimated 200.000 people attempt to kill themselves and official reports show that at least 25,000 succeed. According to author-psychologist James C. Coleman, every twenty minutes someone in the United States kills himself. Suicide ranks seventh in causes of death in the United Stales, and among the first ten causes of death in the industrialized world, Coleman added. Statistics show that 1 0,000 students in the U S. attempt suicide each year and over 1 .000 succeed. The incidence of suicide is twice as high among college students as it is among young people of the same age group who are not in college. Suicide appears to be a problem in the Ellis County community as well, according to statistics provided by Analee Robinson, research psychologist for the High Plains Mental Health Clinic. When asked if suicide, or attempts, were a big problem in Hays. Robinson responded that “even one person is a big problem. Robinson went on to say that “episodes of care for severe psychotic depression number approximately one- tenth of the total number of cases handled by the clinic. Since many of these individuals entertain thoughts of ‘doing away with themselves. - suicide is definitely a problem that concerns the Hays area.” The causes of suicide are as numerous as its victims. Although an apparently trivial event may trigger the action, in most cases, there is usually a build up of frustrations and tension prior to the suicide attempt. Coleman categorizes these stress factors into three broad areas: interpersonal crises, failure and self- devaluation. loss of meaning and hope. Of these three, the loss of meaning and hope seems to be predominant. As long as an individual feels that his life has meaning, and that there is still a possibility that this present situation will change, he will refrain from destroying himself. Although the incidences of successful suicides at FHS are rare, Dr Bill Jellison. Dean of Students, states that FHS does have several suicide attempts each year. In most instances, these attempts are not meant to be fatal — thev are merely a cry for help. It is for these reasons that the Mental Health Clinic and The House have established 24-hour emergency services. By contacting either place, anytime of the night or day, arrangements can be made for assistance with any kind of problem. Suicide prevention centers can be found in almost any sizeable city in the United States and in Europe. The success of these centers depends largely on the willingness of the “would-be-victims to seek help. It is important that society accepts the fact that suicide is not a sin, a crime or a symptom of mental illness — it is a human act of desperation and a sign of acute personal anguish,” Coleman said, Every individual faces a crisis at some time in his life. Problems are the essence of living — how we solve them becomes an integral part of our personality. When those problems become so overwhelming that we cannot cope with them, assistance is the answer — not self-destruction.

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