For many ASU students, transitioning to a college lifestyle means putting a lot on the line: their money, their time, their dreams. Students have to navigate unfamiliar pressures, which can take a toll on mental health.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to bringing awareness and reducing stigma for those affected by mental health issues or suicidal thoughts.
During this month, programs through ASU Counseling Services encourage students to learn how to support a peer who may be struggling or in crisis.
Devils 4 Devils is a student-led organization under Counseling Services that focuses on mental health and student well-being.
Amy Senkerik, a Devils 4 Devils peer leader and a senior studying biological sciences and global health, said she joined the organization after her close friend died by suicide her freshman year of college. She carries her friend's legacy on through leadership and mental health advocacy.
"That really shook my world and gave me this motivation and drive to get involved in mental health," Senkerik said.
During September, Devils 4 Devils runs its You Can Do Something Campaign, where it teaches members of the ASU community how to prevent harm by being empowered bystanders, who step into situations and intervene.
The organization also holds the I'm All Ears Peer Listening Program, where a Devils 4 Devils student volunteer offers support through authentic, impromptu conversations with students on campus.
Senkerik is a peer listener for this program and said she has seen its impact in real time. After a student in crisis approached her at an I'm All Ears tabling event, she was able to lead the student to ASU Counseling Services to get them the help they needed right then and there.
She said students often turn to their peers in times of crisis. It is important to create an environment on campus where students can lean on their friends, community and even strangers to ensure their well-being.
"Really being able to foster that community and impacting just one person at a time, I think is really the core of Suicide Prevention Month and what we're trying to emulate within a college setting," Senkerik said.
ASU Counseling Services also promotes suicide prevention strategies through resources like safeTALK, a suicide alertness training program that teaches the risk signs of suicide and how to ask if someone is having suicidal thoughts.
Mary Cook, director of student success at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and certified safeTALK trainer, said the main role of a safeTALK-trained person is to identify if a student is struggling and connect them to professional help.
Through Cook's training, she said she creates safe plans for students who are considering self-harm or suicide.
She said many students are afraid to communicate their mental health struggles because they do not want to be told to "just suck it up." ASU has done a lot to create an environment where students feel safe to express their feelings without judgment, knowing their privacy will be respected, she said.
"If they are feeling any thoughts, even fleeting thoughts, that it's okay to reach out, and they won't be laughed at, they won't be ridiculed, and best of all, nobody else will know," Cook said.
Assistant Vice President and Director of ASU Counseling Services Erin Trujillo said there is never a wrong time to ask for help. Trujillo said Counseling Services is built on a "when you need help, we're here" model where students can walk into any campus counseling office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and receive help that same day.
In addition to a 24/7 crisis line, the University offers open chat options for non-crisis support, she said.
Trujillo said she hopes students offer kindness toward themselves as they navigate their lives and understand that support is available if they ever experience suicidal thoughts.
Outside of Suicide Prevention Month, Senkerik said members of the ASU community are always dedicated to providing mental health resources and encouraging students to have a positive impact on others.
"I would hope that students feel that they can make a difference in their community, even just one person at a time," Senkerik said. "I hope they realize that something as little as just checking in on a friend can ultimately save lives and that suicide prevention should be year-round."
Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, it is available via the resources below. You are not alone. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741. ASU's crisis resources, including the EMPACT 24-hour crisis line, are accessible here.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's phone number is 1-800-273-8255.
Arizona Suicide Prevention Coalition
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Edited by Dhemi Bell, Carsten Oyer, Grace Lawrence, Senna James and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at akbrow36@asu.edu.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Alyssa Brown is a Community/Culture Reporter at The State Press. This is her first semester with The State Press.
