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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UTM chapter.

There are more students committing suicide every single day. It is the most common cause of death among young adults aged 15-24 year olds. According to www.neumann.edu, nearly 4,000 people ages 15-24 die by suicide each year in the United States. One in 12 U.S. college students make a suicide plan. Every day, approximately 80 Americans take their own life, and 1,500 more attempt to do so. There are more than four male suicides for every female suicide, but twice as many females than males attempt suicide.

If you want more startling statistics, here are more from  http://www.collegedegreesearch.net/student-suicides/ :

  • 6% of undergraduates and 4% of graduate students in 4-year colleges have seriously considered taking their own life in the past year.

  • 1,100 suicides happen on college campuses per year. That is 7.5 per 100,000 students.

  • 1.5 students out of 100 students have actually attempted suicide.

  • In the past 50 years, suicide rates for those age 15-24 increased by 200%.

  • 12 people aged 15-24 will commit suicide today. That is one about every 2 hours.

  • Asian American women have the highest suicide rates among women aged 15-24.

  • Women attempt suicide three times often as men.

  • Students who said their emotional health was above average in 1985: 64%. Students who said their emotional health was above average today: 52%.

  • The most stressful university is Washington University in St. Louis, according to students.

  • In America, someone attempts suicide once every minute. Someone completes a suicide every 17 minutes. That means about 2,000 people kill themselves each day.

I could have been one of these statistics. I attempted suicide in both middle and high school. I was full of anxiety and depression, and my circumstances had me wanting to end my life. There were people in my life that gave me hope and saw the dream in me when I couldn’t see it in myself. I thank everyone in my life that never gave up on me. I eventually went to counseling on my college campus. I am better, and I am living my best life.

To watch common signs and warnings for your friends and family members, you need to see if they are having trouble with sleeping or eating, having drastic experiences with behavior, withdrawing from friends or social activities, losing interest in hobbies, work, school, etc., giving away prized possessions, or losing interest in their personal appearance. If you know someone who shows these signs or are concerned that they are on the brink of committing, call the suicide national hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

 

Picture by: Pexels

 

You can catch me eating Oreos at my house watching This Is Us. Once you get me talking, I will constantly talk about books, music, food, and Jesus.  Shalom (Peace and Blessings) 
Brigitte Curcio is a Senior at the University of Tennessee at Martin. She is studying Public Relations and Women's Studies. She is from Connecticut and moved south for school to be on the Division 1 Skyhawk Rifle Team. She is a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha and she serves as Panhellenic President among many other leadership positions around campus. She is so proud that she is able to be a part of bringing Her Campus to UTM.