WASHINGTON (AFP) — About 15 percent of college students have entertained suicidal thoughts at some point, while five percent have attempted to take their life, according to a study released this week.
The web-based survey of 26,000 students at 70 colleges and universities was conducted in the spring of 2006 by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education and written by experts at the University of Texas at Austin.
The research was presented in Boston, Massachusetts this week at a convention of the American Psychological Association (APA).
About six percent of undergraduate students and four percent of graduate students said they seriously considered suicide in the year preceding the survey.
The researchers said the findings underscore the dearth of mental health resources for college students. They said suicide prevention needed to involve a cross-section of college administrators, student leaders, faculty, parents and counselors.
"This would reduce the percentage of students who engage in suicidal thinking, who contemplate how to make an attempt and who continue to make attempts," said psychologist David Drum, a lead author on the study.
Most students described their typical episode of suicidal thinking as lasting one day or less and more than half of subjects queried said they opted not to confide in a friend or relative or seek professional help.
Students gave various reasons for contemplating suicide, including the desire to find relief from emotional or physical pain, problems with a romantic relationship, and problems with school or academics.
Of those who made actual suicide attempts, half said their method of choice was an overdose of drugs, the report said.
A separate study released at the APA convention found that Asian Americans whose families experience a high degree of interpersonal conflict have a three-fold greater risk of attempting suicide compared with Asian Americans overall.
The study, conducted by University of California in Davis, found that 2.7 percent of the Asian Americans reported attempting suicide at some point during their lives, and 9.1 percent reported having had suicidal thoughts.
"Because of the great emphasis on harmony and family integration in many Asian cultures, family conflict is an important factor to consider when studying suicidal behaviors among Asian Americans," said Stanley Sue, a professor of psychology and Asian American studies at the university.
While focusing on Asian Americans, researchers said the study was not designed to compare rates of suicide among different ethnic groups.
"Our study suggests that we need to more precisely determine the kinds of family conflicts that are associated with suicide risk among Asian Americans, and find means of preventing these family problems," said Sue. ( Source: Google News )
The web-based survey of 26,000 students at 70 colleges and universities was conducted in the spring of 2006 by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education and written by experts at the University of Texas at Austin.
The research was presented in Boston, Massachusetts this week at a convention of the American Psychological Association (APA).
About six percent of undergraduate students and four percent of graduate students said they seriously considered suicide in the year preceding the survey.
The researchers said the findings underscore the dearth of mental health resources for college students. They said suicide prevention needed to involve a cross-section of college administrators, student leaders, faculty, parents and counselors.
"This would reduce the percentage of students who engage in suicidal thinking, who contemplate how to make an attempt and who continue to make attempts," said psychologist David Drum, a lead author on the study.
Most students described their typical episode of suicidal thinking as lasting one day or less and more than half of subjects queried said they opted not to confide in a friend or relative or seek professional help.
Students gave various reasons for contemplating suicide, including the desire to find relief from emotional or physical pain, problems with a romantic relationship, and problems with school or academics.
Of those who made actual suicide attempts, half said their method of choice was an overdose of drugs, the report said.
A separate study released at the APA convention found that Asian Americans whose families experience a high degree of interpersonal conflict have a three-fold greater risk of attempting suicide compared with Asian Americans overall.
The study, conducted by University of California in Davis, found that 2.7 percent of the Asian Americans reported attempting suicide at some point during their lives, and 9.1 percent reported having had suicidal thoughts.
"Because of the great emphasis on harmony and family integration in many Asian cultures, family conflict is an important factor to consider when studying suicidal behaviors among Asian Americans," said Stanley Sue, a professor of psychology and Asian American studies at the university.
While focusing on Asian Americans, researchers said the study was not designed to compare rates of suicide among different ethnic groups.
"Our study suggests that we need to more precisely determine the kinds of family conflicts that are associated with suicide risk among Asian Americans, and find means of preventing these family problems," said Sue. ( Source: Google News )
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