Attempted Suicide Rate Up On USC Campus

It is estimated that 1,100 suicides happen on college campuses each year.

Students at the University of Southern California might be surprised to learn that many of their peers have either thought about or attempted to commit suicide.

According to the Department of Public Safety at USC, there have been 12 reported suicide attempts since the start of the fall semester.

This is the most amount of attempts the school has had in the last three years. In 2014, there were six reported attempts of suicide at USC. The year before there were 10 and the year before that there were nine.

Hannah Nguyen is a senior this year. She has attempted to take her own life several times since she started college. Her first attempt happened her freshman year.

"I didn’t have that many friends and I was just really overwhelmed with work and school and like other things," said Nguyen.

Nguyen was so overwhelmed with school and what was going on in her personal life at the time that she planned to jump from the top of a nearby parking lot on campus.

“I went to the top of PSD and someone - I still don’t know who - it was probably a stranger just walking on the street saw and called DPS,” recalled Nguyen.

As soon as DPS and LAPD officers arrived to the scene, Nguyen was immediately put in the back of a police car and sent to jail for 72 hours. 

She says at no point after her release did DPS or the university reach out to help her get better.  

“No one really checked-in with me. I have fought to like find my own community and like my own resources,” said Nguyen. 

Varun Soni is the Dean of Religious Life at USC. He says he's seen an increase in the amount of students who come into his office and express suicidal thoughts.

"Especially this year, but over the past several years I have seen more students who are exhibiting suicidal ideation and this year’s been the year I’ve seen the most,” said Soni.

Dr. Kelly Greco is a certified clinical psychologist at the Engemann Health Center on campus. Greco says it's around this time of the year that students are the most stressed. 

"People are getting their midterm grades back. Maybe they're not what they thought. People are experiencing break ups, strains in relationships with roommates, friends and family issues," explained Grecko.

Nguyen says while the university has gotten better at providing more services for students there is still a lot of work left to be done.

"I understand that through mental health awareness month we’re trying to like break down the stigma and make sure students are like accessing these resources, but I think also at the same time we need to be demanding that these resources are accessible to students."

If you, or someone you know, needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255.)