SAMHSA Campus Suicide Prevention Grants
Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.
May 27, 2011
The prevention of substance abuse and mental illness, including suicide prevention, is one of eight strategic initiatives that will guide the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) work over the next four years.
As SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., notes, “Suicide is a preventable tragedy for college students, their families, and our communities.” A 2010 Higher Education Research Institute study of more than 200,000 first-year students entering four-year colleges found that their emotional health had declined to the lowest level since the annual survey began 25 years ago. Similarly, SAMHSA’s 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that young adults aged 18 to 25 were more likely than adults aged 26 to 49 to have had serious thoughts of suicide (6.7 percent vs. 3.9 percent).
The Campus Suicide Prevention Grants program supports colleges and universities in their efforts to prevent suicide among students and to enhance services for students with depression, substance abuse, and other behavioral health issues that put them at risk of suicide. The March/April 2011 issue of SAMHSA News highlights three examples of funded campus programs.
Visit SAMHSA’s Web site for more information about suicide prevention activities.