Editorial: Depressed students can make use of Pitt’s resources

The Pitt community needs to have a little talk.

Suicide is a difficult topic. Some of us have… The Pitt community needs to have a little talk.

Suicide is a difficult topic. Some of us have lost loved ones to suicide. Some of us have considered it ourselves. And even still, some of us are too scared, ashamed or upset to talk about it. But we think it’s something that cannot be ignored.

Sept. 10 was National Suicide Prevention Day, and last week was National Suicide Prevention Week. We think it’s great that such a pervasive yet stigmatized topic receives national attention. However, we think the idea of helping those who are considering taking their own lives should last more than just a few days. Especially at colleges.

Thankfully, Pitt does too.

At the class of 2015’s orientation, some of Pitt’s student-athletes appeared in a public service announcement that stressed the importance of talking about the most common mental-health issue on our campus: depression. We think the University is pointing new students in the right direction — there is no shame in talking about depression. “Talking about it” seems to be a theme here.

Pitt’s “Give Depression a Voice … Talk About It” campaign focuses on reducing the stigma attached to depression, especially stressing that there should be no shame associated with the illness. We agree. Students need to let go of the inhibitions that prevent them from getting help.

According to Psych Central, an online mental health network run by professionals in the field,  44 percent of college students in the United States report feeling depression symptoms. One out of every four college students or adults has a diagnosable mental illness.

Active Minds, another mental-health awareness group at Pitt, organized an event last April called “Send Silence Packing.” The exhibit featured a spread of 1,100 unattended backpacks that represented the number of suicides involving college students each year.

There’s no reason to be alone. And we’re not alone. We’re part of a community that has suffered through multiple suicides in the past couple of years. We get it. Pitt gets it. If you’re not feeling like yourself, then there are many resources you can turn to.

The Counseling Center specializes in mental health, and it could be a great resource for students who feel overworked, overwhelmed or homesick.

Rather than the few days of national observance the country officially designates for suicide prevention, we think it should be a year-round concern. Look out for yourself and others, and don’t be afraid to get help. Our community has lost too many of its own already  — let’s just talk about it.