Backpack display raises awareness

More than 1,000 backpacks lay strewn across the lawn in front of Coffman Union on Monday. None of them belonged to University of Minnesota students.
In an effort to raise awareness about college suicide, members of Active Minds — a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to educating the public about college mental health issues — along with a litany of other University student groups, placed backpacks representing the 1,100 college students who commit suicide each year.
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Risk factors and warning signs include depression, bipolar disorder and drug or substance abuse.
At 12:15 p.m., close to 100 participants held a flash mob “freeze,” where they stood frozen in place for five minutes.
The backpack display was a part of Active Minds’ signature program, Send Silence Packing. This year, Active Minds was given a $50,000 grant from Pepsi to promote mental health education at colleges in the Midwest region.
The event was co-sponsored by a coalition of student groups and campus organizations, including Mindfulness for Students, Boynton Health Service and University Counseling and Consulting Services.
Members of Active Minds said the backpack display is a compelling and effective way to encourage students to become more involved and generate dialogue on an issue that isn’t discussed openly enough.
“We get really high visibility … and it tells people that it is OK to talk about these things,” said Active Minds employee Brandon Doman.
According to Boynton’s 2009 Health Survey, more than 25 percent of Minnesota college students have been diagnosed with depression within their lifetime. More than 2 percent reported being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Event participants said the biggest hurdle in tackling the issue is encouraging students to be less reticent about discussing their mental health problems.
“Society has a very negative view of mental health issues,” said junior public relations major Emma Casey. “We want to wipe out the stigma attached to mental health on campuses.”
Political science senior Jon Delperdang said he was driven to join the cause because of his own experiences dealing with mental health issues.
“I’ve had suicidal thoughts and dealt with social anxiety in the past … but I was afraid to get help,” he said.
Neuroscience sophomore Claire Chappuis said she was pleased with the reception.
“It’s been pretty positive. People get shocked and taken aback by the number of backpacks,” she said.