Professor of microbiology Bernice Noble has seen many students come through her classes, but remembers one vividly: a medical student who didn't complete assignments, didn't make eye contact and often complained about not sleeping enough.
Recognizing symptoms from a pamphlet she and other faculty received from UB's Counseling Center, she referred him to the center for treatment of depression. Like many students she's referred, however, the student never went for help; he went on to become a doctor.
"Sometimes people don't get help," said Noble. "They end up taking out their problems on the outside world."
For every two victims of homicide in the United States, three others take their lives, according to the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, the first national initiative to raise suicide awareness announced last May by the U.S. surgeon general.
Following the recent suicide of a UB student, counselors and other staff at the university are focusing on helping to understand and prevent a growing, but often hidden, problem from affecting UB further.
"One of the saddest aspects of teen suicide is the frequently missed opportunity to stop it," said Scott Plecha, a second year psychology major.
Noble, along with students and counselors, said many factors could hinder efforts to get help for the people who need it.
"They look sad, they sit in the corner . you have a tendency to blame yourself, like maybe you should make your teaching more interesting," said Noble
According to Noble, students are usually "very resistant" to seek counseling after faculty intervention. "It's very rare for a student to follow up on [the referral]," she said.
Veronica Lugris, assistant director of the UB Counseling Center, estimated the center receives a call every week from a faculty member concerned that a student may be at risk, but receives fewer calls from students concerned for others. Students may often avoid seeking help due to a fear of further isolation inherent in depression, said Lugris.
"A lot of people who struggle feel alone, which is sad," said Lugris. "The reality is that everyone goes through periods of distress."
The recent suicide seemed to have a dual effect on the number of students seeking counseling, said Lugris.
"Some people might've decided to come in after hearing about it, and some might have decided not to, thinking that maybe people involved in that needed more help than themselves, which is a real disservice to students," said Lugris.
Counseling Center Director Kathleen Scott believes the center's current mission is a simple one: "We need to spend more time on letting people know that we exist."
The Counseling Center, located in Richmond Quad in the Ellicott complex, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center offers both individual counseling and group counseling by appointment; only in emergencies are "walk-ins" accepted during business hours.
Students seeking help after normal center hours are directed to call University Police, which has a counselor on staff around-the-clock, and who can intervene at a student's residence if necessary. If the line is busy, students are directed to contact Crisis Services of Buffalo.
During normal work hours, Crisis Services staffs five to six counselors, a number that is reduced to two for the overnight shift. According to two counselors at Crisis Services, talking about suicide is a plea for help that should be taken seriously; although a long heart-to-heart can soothe the pain momentarily, a person who talks about killing himself or herself should also be persuaded to see a counselor or psychologist.
Another counselor said their staff evaluates the risks involved for each caller using a lethality assessment form. The form uses a series of questions to evaluate risk factors with the caller, including the severity of behaviors typical with callers at-risk, number of previous attempts and intensity of suicidal fixation, such as having a specific time and place selected for a planned suicide attempt.
For instance, if a caller plans to commit suicide the day of the call as opposed to the next week, the risk moves from low to moderate or high. In extreme cases of high risk where a caller has the means to commit suicide immediately, the call is traced and police are dispatched to assist the individual.
In the pamphlet provided to teaching faculty by the Counseling Center, three general levels of distress are detailed; Noble said her student was showing signs of a "level 2" problem. Behaviors such as serious changes in grade performance, excessive absences, changes in dress and hygiene, and unusually exaggerated or inappropriate responses to situations are listed as some of the warning signs of an at-risk student.
Noble said that although many students display some of these signs at one time or another, she has not yet been off base when approaching a student she thought needed help.
The counselor said she sincerely enjoys helping people, but her job is sometimes extremely tough on her.
"In some instances the person remains anonymous and hangs up before the trace can be complete, and you never know what happens to that person," one counselor said.
Working the phones can be stressful and at times disheartening, and counselors tend to talk to each other to help cope with the high stress involved in their job, according to the counselor.
Suicidal tendencies should be treated like any other health emergency, according to a suicide prevention pamphlet offered by Crisis Services. If an acquaintance or friend seems in danger of attempting suicide, one should seek help immediately.
Counselors at the center said that if a person threatens to kill himself or herself, call 911 and seek a police rescue effort.
UB's Counseling Center can be reached at 645-2720 during normal operating hours, and the University Police is available at 645-2222 when the center is not open.
Suicide hotlines and mental health outreach services are available in the event of need. Crisis Services, located 10 minutes from the North Campus at 2969 Main St., is open 24 hours and available by phone at 834-3131.
