East Carolina University will hold its fourth annual initiative focused on mental health and suicide prevention on Wednesday. ECU is one of six universities in North Carolina participating in Fresh Check Day, which includes peer groups and interactive booths that provides information on mental health and suicide prevention to faculty, staff, and students.
“The demand on the services is going up,” said Lauren Thorn, Associate Dean of Students at ECU. “And that’s a trend that we have certainly seen at ECU as well as across the nation. But what is positive is that we are seeing more opportunities to talk about these things and address them early on.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults between the ages of 15 to 24 in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 million college students contemplate suicide and about 1.2 million high school students attempt suicide each year. Fresh Check Day takes place 4 to 7 pm on the Main Campus Student Center Lawn.
