Texas State students raise awareness for September Suicide Prevention Month

By Christopher Figueroa

Blog Content Contributor

According to The JED Foundation, approximately 20% of high school students and 11% of college students suffer from suicidal thoughts every year.

“11% of college students ages 18 and older have had thoughts of suicide in the past year. 20.4% of high school students reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year. The percentage of students who reported having seriously considered suicide varied by group,” according to a 2024-2025 data report from The Healthy Minds Study.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), alongside the World Health Organization (WHO), established World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10, 2003.

As part of this advocacy, September was deemed Suicide Prevention Month and became a nationwide recognition.

Like many institutions, Texas State students come together to raise awareness for the month of September. Health Promotion Services and Healthy Cats work simultaneously to bring this attention to students.

University Health Services Promotion Specialist Alicia Rosas said Healthy Cats and many others will be hosting a mental health promotion event for all students on Sept. 30.

Self-Love and Succulents will provide self-love and mental health promotion activities to provide information about mental health resources on and off campus.

Texas State senior and executive outreach for The Wellness Society, Kelly Nossa, said she connects with other groups and resources on and off campus to find ways to engage in student mental health.

She said although the organization is less than a year old, she and many others have made remarkable progress.

“Well-being can also come from community, connection, physical activity, having healthy routines, and just finding things you’re passionate about as well as feeling like you have a sense of belonging,” Nossa said.

The Wellness Society also likes to focus on the physical state of the body.

Nossa said yoga and Pilates are favorites within the organization and really enhance the sense of community and the physical state of the body.

This past weekend, The Wellness Society also hosted a suicide prevention walk.

Held at Native Blends, students and organization members handed out purple ribbons, symbolic of the colors of Suicide Awareness Month, and were encouraged to write a message on them and tie them to the trees throughout the walk.

“She doesn’t just want this to be a walk, but to create an opportunity for students to come together, have conversations about mental health and leave knowing what resources are available to them,” Nossa said.

Additionally, the society partnered with Cassidy Joined for Hope, a national fundraiser focused on preventing teen suicide through resources, support, and education.

The event also partnered with Bobcat Yoga and Native Blends, where members of the organizations received a 10% discount on their next purchase.

Nossa said her passion was sparked by her experience with her friend in high school who struggled severely with suicidal thoughts, as well as growing up in a place where teen suicide had a very real impact on the community.

“A huge part of what she stood for was breaking the silence and stigma surrounding mental health and making it easier for young people to talk about what they’re going through,” Nossa said.

“It happens a lot more than we realize, and it’s not just something that happens rarely.”

For more information, visit Texas State Health Services.