Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Diane Brown said there have been far more attempts than deaths at the University in the last nine years. There were two suicides in 1999 - one was a student and one was a patient. During finals week on December 16. Friends and advisors said the student had a long history of mental illness and didn't necessarily commit suicide because of academic pressure. Brown said the data only includes attempts that occurred on University property or involved the Department of Public Safety.
Girls are three times more likely than boys to attempt suicide.
Although females are more likely to attempt suicide, males are much more likely to actually kill themselves because they tend to use more violent methods. Currently, fire arms are the most common suicide method. The fact that males complete the majority of suicides contributes to the myth that suicide rates are higher among university students. That's why we recommend the early recognition, identification and treatment of a mental disorder. King said friends and family can look for previous suicide attempts, talk of suicide, moodiness, hopelessness, withdrawal from activities and people and increases in drug and alcohol use as warning signs of depression or suicide.