Office of Counseling Services. (Myrthel Michel/FAMUAN)
As September marks Suicide Prevention Month, Florida A&M University is highlighting mental health resources and encouraging students to recognize warning signs, seek support and look out for their peers.
Alicia Jackson, Ph.D., coordinator of clinical programs at FAMU, emphasized that suicide prevention is especially important for college students, who often encounter academic, financial and family pressures.
“Suicide prevention is important because suicide is one of the most preventable deaths there is,” Jackson said.
Jackson noted that students struggling with mental health may show changes in behavior such as prolonged sadness, social withdrawal, altered sleeping or eating habits, missed classes and falling behind on assignments.
“Sometimes people suffer in silence,” Jackson said. “But if they come in contact with someone who has the information they need for coping strategies or where they can get help, it’s going to be a game changer for them.”
Dougla-Khan Stancil, a licensed mental health counselor and certified QPR instructor, explained that financial and familial responsibilities can increase the pressures students experience.
“A lot of students are responsible for their people back home,” Stancil said. “And so they’re sending money, or paying bills for their parents. They’re helping out their siblings.”
Stancil said these pressures can lead to anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, social withdrawal and difficulty managing daily life.
Stancil advised students experiencing suicidal thoughts, particularly those with a plan or intent to act, to seek immediate help.
Students can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate crisis support. In an emergency, students should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
FAMU’s Office of Counseling Services partners with BetterMynd to provide students with access to online therapy. Students must first register on BetterMynd using their FAMU email address, then contact the Office of Counseling Services to request credits before scheduling an appointment. Once credits are added, students can log in and schedule an appointment. Students are responsible for appointments scheduled without available credits.
“We have those services available for you,” Jackson said. “So there’s no hindrance in the way or a barrier to keep you from seeing someone and receiving the help that you need.”
FAMU is also organizing events focused on Black men’s mental health and well-being.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted suicide rate among non-Hispanic Black people increased 25.2 percent from 2018 to 2023.
Stancil leads Man Talk, an open forum for men to discuss mental health, stress and wellness.
“If we begin looking at it like having a headache or, let’s say, a sprained ankle, those are medical situations that people usually don’t mind getting intervention for,” Stancil said. “Mental health is the same.”
Jackson encouraged men not to let societal expectations about masculinity prevent them from seeking professional support.
“Don’t hesitate to come to receive counseling just because you think as a man you should be able to handle it,” Jackson said.
For T’elay Forbes, a FAMU student who has used the university’s counseling services, seeking help has become an important part of managing her mental health.
“My therapist really helped talk me through taking rest and being OK with taking care of myself first,” Forbes said. “It really helped me change my lifestyle so that I’m able to balance work at school and my social life better.”
Forbes also said she lost her cousin, Mycah Tia Lewis, to suicide. She said the experience showed her that mental health struggles are not always visible.
Lewis was someone Forbes described as loving and well-liked. She said her death was unexpected because she appeared happy to those around her.
“I would just say to be kind to everyone,” Forbes said. “When they say to check on your strong friends, it really does mean that you have to be intentional about your circle and making sure that people are OK. Just because they might project something on the outside doesn’t mean that’s how they’re feeling on the inside.”