Clan x86

General Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: CrAz3D on August 19, 2008, 04:28:13 PM

Title: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: CrAz3D on August 19, 2008, 04:28:13 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26272639/

Interesting that there are so many.  I wonder what the root cause is for all of that.  The pressure to succeed?  The social pressure?  Hmm
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Armin on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Sidoh on August 19, 2008, 04:43:09 PM
The numbers are noticeably higher for graduate students.  Jorge Cham of PhD Comics (http://www.phdcomics.com) gave a presentation at my university as a part of his tour titled "The Power of Procrastination".  While the overwhelming majority of the content was intended to be humorous, it did have a few serious points.  One of them was how many graduate students had considered suicide, were depressed, etc.  The numbers were pretty shocking, I remember.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: iago on August 19, 2008, 04:52:54 PM
Quote from: Metal Militia on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
I was wondering about that. I'd say that if 50% of college students admit to have had a passing thought about it, then the other half are liars. I'd be seriously surprised if there were people who never had thoughts like, "what would happen if I killed myself?" in a totally non-serious, passing way.

(Or maybe I'm just crazy *shrug*)
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Armin on August 19, 2008, 04:54:56 PM
Quote from: iago on August 19, 2008, 04:52:54 PM
Quote from: Metal Militia on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
I was wondering about that. I'd say that if 50% of college students admit to have had a passing thought about it, then the other half are liars. I'd be seriously surprised if there were people who never had thoughts like, "what would happen if I killed myself?" in a totally non-serious, passing way.

(Or maybe I'm just crazy *shrug*)

I agree 100%
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Sidoh on August 19, 2008, 04:59:48 PM
Quote from: iago on August 19, 2008, 04:52:54 PM
Quote from: Metal Militia on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
I was wondering about that. I'd say that if 50% of college students admit to have had a passing thought about it, then the other half are liars. I'd be seriously surprised if there were people who never had thoughts like, "what would happen if I killed myself?" in a totally non-serious, passing way.

(Or maybe I'm just crazy *shrug*)

I'm guessing they don't mean in a passing way.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: deadly7 on August 19, 2008, 05:00:07 PM
Quote from: CrAz3D on August 19, 2008, 04:28:13 PM
Half of college students contemplate suicide
And the other half hasn't met Crazed (or a person similar to him) yet.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: while1 on August 19, 2008, 07:44:35 PM
I've thought about it more quite a bit in the past year... Hell, I thought about it just 30 minutes ago.  In the end, I realize that I'd only hurt my parents the most and I would have wasted the last 21 years of my life.  Ending my life now is illogical, yet it still doesn't fill and heal the giant void I feel inside.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Camel on August 19, 2008, 10:41:25 PM
Quote from: iago on August 19, 2008, 04:52:54 PM
Quote from: Metal Militia on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
I was wondering about that. I'd say that if 50% of college students admit to have had a passing thought about it, then the other half are liars. I'd be seriously surprised if there were people who never had thoughts like, "what would happen if I killed myself?" in a totally non-serious, passing way.

(Or maybe I'm just crazy *shrug*)


/signed
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: iago on August 20, 2008, 09:57:42 AM
Quote from: Sidoh on August 19, 2008, 04:59:48 PM
Quote from: iago on August 19, 2008, 04:52:54 PM
Quote from: Metal Militia on August 19, 2008, 04:38:15 PM
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point. Slightly more than half of students said they fit that category, which is known as suicide ideation. When researchers asked about more serious episodes, 15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.
50% of college students having just a passing thought about how easily committing suicide would erase the pressures of life just once in their life, does not surprise me at all. I would lie if I said I didn't have such a passing thought at one moment in my life.

The title is misleading since 'contemplate' refers to 'seriously considering', which only accounts for 15%.
I was wondering about that. I'd say that if 50% of college students admit to have had a passing thought about it, then the other half are liars. I'd be seriously surprised if there were people who never had thoughts like, "what would happen if I killed myself?" in a totally non-serious, passing way.

(Or maybe I'm just crazy *shrug*)

I'm guessing they don't mean in a passing way.

Well, that's what I get from:
QuoteThe survey defined considering suicide as having at least one episode of suicidal thinking at some point.
*shrug*

Quote from: deadly7 on August 19, 2008, 05:00:07 PM
And the other half hasn't met Crazed (or a person similar to him) yet.
Zing! :P
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Sidoh on August 20, 2008, 11:40:31 AM
It's still a pretty unclear definition.  Does "suicidal thinking" mean they've pondered the consequences or they were considering it as a viable option, even if lightly?
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: iago on August 20, 2008, 11:54:51 AM
*shrug* who knows?

That's why surveys are awesome, they can be used to prove anything. :)
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Camel on August 20, 2008, 02:11:14 PM
Quote from: Sidoh on August 20, 2008, 11:40:31 AM
It's still a pretty unclear definition.  Does "suicidal thinking" mean they've pondered the consequences or they were considering it as a viable option, even if lightly?

It's even less clear than that, IMO. Suicidal thinking could apply to thinking about someone else committing suicide, for example. According to that interpretation, anybody who even knows what the definition of the word suicide is has had "suicidal thoughts." Thereby, the fact that the result was sub-100% shows that the result is meaningless.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Armin on August 20, 2008, 02:14:21 PM
Quote15 percent said they had "seriously considered" attempting suicide.

5 percent try to kill themselves
More than 5 percent of students said they had actually attempted suicide, which is the second-leading cause of death for college students, compared to its ranking of ninth among the U.S. population at large, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health.
That seems to be the only solid information in the entire article. I believe the 50% statistic was just to draw readers in.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Sidoh on August 20, 2008, 02:17:08 PM
Quote from: Camel on August 20, 2008, 02:11:14 PM
Quote from: Sidoh on August 20, 2008, 11:40:31 AM
It's still a pretty unclear definition.  Does "suicidal thinking" mean they've pondered the consequences or they were considering it as a viable option, even if lightly?

It's even less clear than that, IMO. Suicidal thinking could apply to thinking about someone else committing suicide, for example. According to that interpretation, anybody who even knows what the definition of the word suicide is has had "suicidal thoughts." Thereby, the fact that the result was sub-100% shows that the result is meaningless.

I think it is safe to assume they're referring exclusively to suicidal thoughts involving oneself.  The study would be silly if this was not the case.

Quote from: Metal Militia on August 20, 2008, 02:14:21 PM
Quote15 percent said they had “seriously considered” attempting suicide.

5 percent try to kill themselves
More than 5 percent of students said they had actually attempted suicide, which is the second-leading cause of death for college students, compared to its ranking of ninth among the U.S. population at large, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health.
That seems to be the only solid information in the entire article. I believe the 50% statistic was just to draw readers in.

Yeah, totally agreed.  That second statistic is the most believable (and surprising).  The metric is clearly defined and their measurements are contrasted against a different population.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: iago on August 20, 2008, 02:40:53 PM
I wonder how many people contemplated suicide as a direct result of reading the article?

(I don't mean the article is atrocious or anything (although maybe it is :) ), but it makes people think about it. :)
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Sidoh on August 20, 2008, 03:01:40 PM
Quote from: iago on August 20, 2008, 02:40:53 PM
I wonder how many people contemplated suicide as a direct result of reading the article?

(I don't mean the article is atrocious or anything (although maybe it is :) ), but it makes people think about it. :)

If I off myself, I'm going to blame this post in my suicide note.
Title: Re: Half of college students contemplate suicide
Post by: Camel on August 20, 2008, 03:10:13 PM
Quote from: iago on August 20, 2008, 02:40:53 PM
I wonder how many people contemplated suicide as a direct result of reading the article?

I suppose that depends; particularly, by which interpretation of 'contemplate' you mean. Arguably, 100% xD