Nicolette Caneda delivers a message about suicide awareness, and touches on the importance of mental health at MU.
LAILI SHAHRESTANI / THE QUADRANGLE
By Laili Shahrestani, Staff Writer
Mental Health at MU held an event in Kelly Commons to advocate for mental health awareness as well as suicide prevention. The goal of the event was to send a message out to students that pain should not be experienced in isolation and it is crucial to reach out to someone when experiencing hardship.
Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents. Carol Ciancutti, the director of the Manhattan University Counseling Center, spoke to The Quadrangle about the significance of checking in with those around you and working towards a world free of suicide.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death in college-age students, and it is the most preventable kind of death,” Ciancutti said. “As a community, we should get comfortable asking questions, and recognizing when someone is in pain. They must be in such pain that suicide is the only solution that they can see. The more we can see the warning signs, we can then engage in conversations, show them we care, and prevent more of these tragedies.”
The event highlighted the idea that nobody should feel as if their emotions are too difficult to work through, and that all students should reach out to somebody whenever they are experiencing issues.
Nicolette Caneda, a graduate student and representative of Mental Health at MC, spoke about the importance of recognizing that no student is alone when it comes to their feelings. Caneda mentioned how students should take advantage of all of the resources available on campus that promote positive mental health practices.
“You are never alone in any kinds of feelings that you are having,” Caneda said. “Feelings that you are not understanding may be really overwhelming, and you might think that you are alone, but there’s so many resources on campus. People may feel like a burden when they’re allowing somebody to take the time to listen to problems that you feel as if you should be dealing with on your own, but I’d say to take people up on their offer to help and hear you.”
With the abundance of social clubs and athletic teams at MU, there is no shortage of opportunities for students to create support systems. Not only are social groups one way to meet new people to talk to, but the counseling center is also available for anyone on campus who would like to speak to someone.
The counseling center acts as an asset to better assist students who may feel upset, overwhelmed or simply just want somebody to listen to them.
Ciancutti encouraged students to make an effort to prioritize their mental health, and take time to get in touch with their emotions without feeling ashamed of them.
“I think one of my goals as the director is to normalize and encourage people to take care of their mental health,” Ciancutti said. “It’s just like going to the gym. You go to the gym to exercise your muscles. It’s just another form of taking care of yourself. I just want everybody to know that counseling services are available. They are a free service that you have as a student here.”
The goal of Mental Health at MC is to advocate for more students to get out of their comfort zones and seek the help that they may need.
Many students have already utilized the mental health resources on campus. Attendees at the event spoke about how college can be a stressful and difficult time, and how thankful they are for the accommodations MU provides.
The Quadrangle spoke to Anne Hagan, a junior and member of the track and field team, on how the mental health facilities on campus provided her with the proper skills needed to balance her athletic career, education and overall mental health.
“I think Mental Health at MC has always played a huge part during my time here,” Hagan said. “I transferred from another college because of their lack of mental health awareness. With being a part of athletics, I’ve had a lot more mental health facilities available to me, such as the Counseling Center. They checked in with each of us, and I felt like that was super valuable.”
The Counseling Center and Mental Health at MC are available to any students who want to talk to somebody or need general assistance navigating through college life. The Counseling Center is located in Miguel Hall, Room 501. For anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts or are in immediate danger, call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-3255.