Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students between the ages of 18 and 24, but Fresno State officials want students to know that it is 100 percent preventable.
University Health and Psychological Services observes National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 9-13 with a week of activities designed to enhance awareness of the Student Health Center’s suicide prevention program.
Events include the presentation of “The Matthew Beggs Story,” 2 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Henry Madden Library, room 2206. Matthew was a student at Fresno City College when he committed suicide in 2004. His father, Patrick, will discuss his experience and how to help a potential suicide victim save his or her life. A panel discussion follows the presentation at 3 p.m.
The video, Survivors: Hope & Healing, featuring local suicide survivors sharing their experiences is now streaming on YouTube, and will be featured on the California Mental Health Services Authority website’s Each Mind Matters, California’s mental health movement.
Other events include information tables Thursday promoting an awareness of suicide and its prevention, and a campus/community resource fair also on Thursday that will include Fresno Survivors of Suicide Loss, Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline, VA and Psychological Services.