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UCD launches suicide prevention bid

Thursday, 13 March 2008

STUDENTS nationwide converged in Dublin last week for the national launch of a new campaign and website that urges young people to speak out and share their problems with those around them.
‘Please Talk’ was initiated in UCD last year following a series of suicides on-campus. Now, following an overwhelmingly positive reaction among students and staff, the movement has been launched nationwide across all seven universities in Ireland.
Students from all over the country assembled at UCD’s Newman House, St Stephen’s Green, to officially launch the campaign on March 4.
The participating colleges include UCD, Trinity College, NUI Maynooth, NUI Galway, UCC, the University of Limerick and Dublin City University.
Speaking at the launch, the president of UCD Students’ Union, Barry Colfer, said: “The Please Talk campaign was founded on the initial premise that talking is a sign of strength, not of weakness.
“The campaign encourages students simply to share their problems, whether through the students’ union welfare officer, any of the student support staff at their university, a chaplain, or even just to a friend – the important thing is that they don’t feel they have to go through anything alone.”
The campaign’s website, PleaseTalk.ie, was also launched at the event by Jonathan Blackmore, a UCD student who volunteered to design all of the campaign’s visual material.
“I hope it will be realised that to look for help is a real sign of strength and not a sign of weakness,” he said. “All difficulties, academic, personal or financial will be responded to by caring and available staff.”
The campaign began in UCD in February 2007 in response to the death by suicide of a student.
It is organised to alert others in Ireland to the varied and manifold important services that are available in universities.
With the support of staff and students it is hoped that all students will hear about relevant student services especially in times of crisis and will know how to access them.
By accessing www.please talk.ie UCD students can learn of the many supports systems that exist with the university campus, such as: www.ucd.ie/advisers where advisers provide support for all students, particularly first years, during their university experience.
www.ucd.ie/chaplain/ - the chaplaincy seeks to offer hospitality, support and care. They are there to listen, no matter what the situation is, offering confidentiality.
www.ucd.ie/stuhealth - the Student Health Service provides on-campus medical, psychological and psychiatric care to registered students of the university.
www.ucdsu.ie - a drop in listening and referral service for students is operated by the student union welfare officer. The welfare office houses a wide variety of leaflets on different services and agencies from smoking cessation to landlord problems, which students may need to know about.
www.ucd.ie/disability - he Disability Support Service provides advice and support to students with disabilities, physical difficulties, long term medical conditions, sensory impairments or specific learning difficulties.
www.ucd.ie/niteline Niteline (1800793793) is a confidential and anonymous listening service that is run by and for students from Trinity, UCD, The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), and the National College of Art and Design (NCAD).

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