With the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk coming up, we are all reminded of the heavy topic of suicide prevention. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2017 there were an estimated 1,400,000 suicide attempts. In the same year, 47,173 Americans died by suicide. While these are the set numbers, it is believed that the actual estimates are much higher due to the stigma surrounding suicide which leads to underreporting.
We have come to realize that this crisis reaches close to home; specifically college students. According to a CBS News article, among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said that they had encountered stressful events in the last year that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Each year, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention holds a campus walk here at Sacramento State to raise donations for this very important cause. We at Her Campus at Sacramento State have chosen to create a team within this walk so we can stand in solidarity with our fellow students and fight against suicide together.
We want to extend a hand out to you, our readers, to join us in the fight and walk with us. Registration closes this Friday, April 5, 2019. If you wish to register for the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk here at Sacramento State, click here. During registration, you can choose to either register alone or with a group. Please feel free to register with us at Her Campus at Sacramento State if you wish to walk with us. We would love to have you.
Here are the event details:
Walk Date: 04/11/2019
Walk Location: The WELL, Sac State – Sacramento, CA
Check-in/Registration Time: 4:00 pm
Walk Begins: 5:30 pm
Walk Ends: 7:30 pm
Suicide is something that touches many people, if not all, in one way or another. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Always remember that you are not alone, and there is always help for you.