The University of Kentucky’s Prevention, Outreach and Wellness Education Resources (POWER) brought QPR suicide prevention training to the Gatton Student Center in partnership with UK Invests.
POWER is a branch of Student Success with the goal to spread healthy habits among college students through resources for physical, mental and sexual health at no cost to the student. The event held on March 5 focused on teaching students to question, persuade and refer — steps to identify and prevent suicide.
“There’s just a lot that happens when you transition on campus and a lot of times students are used to having a parent or guardian kind of carry the load for them or at least assist them,” Lizzie Finley, POWER student wellness co-coordinator, said. “Whenever they come here, a lot of times it’s an overwhelming amount of stress.”
According to the QPR Institute, the training sessions were created to center around questioning, persuading and referring people who are at risk of suicide. Described as the mental health version of CPR, these three steps can be done by anyone to save someone’s life.
Finley said they hope this training will help students become more aware of mental health care on campus and make the transition to college easier.
“I think QPR is important because it allows not only faculty and advisors as prevention people, but you’re allowing their peers, their classmates, their coworkers to also have those tools to be able to identify and to seek assistance,” Finley said.
The hour-long training takes place around once a month, with opportunities to attend online or in person. The training is open to both students and faculty members.
“This training really is about providing that sense of hope because that might spark conversation or the call to action for them to go seek an individual that might help them stay alive,” Thomas Ard, POWER student wellness co-coordinator, said.
During the training, Ard said the suicide prevention program was brought to the university in 2003 to commemorate the loss of two students, Kevin and Jeffrey Graham.
According to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, suicide is the second leading cause of death for 10 to 24-year-olds in the state.
“I decided to come to this event because I wanted to give myself resources that hopefully I never need, but I might need one day, especially in my career as a healthcare professional,” Amelia Oldfield, a junior biology major, said.
Students attending also received credit from UK Invests that translates into real money.
“Just knowing that someone is there that can support them and that they can reach out to can be that hope for the future,” Finley said.
For more information about POWER and their resources, visit their website.
If you or anyone you know needs help, call the suicide prevention hotline at 988.