A previous symposium in the Grote Kerk in Wageningen. Photo WKvV Among other things, attention will be paid to dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide. The psychology behind suicide will also be discussed. The symposium is part of the well-being period, during which various Wageningen student associations organize activities related to student well-being.
‘Earlier this year, we came into contact with the Door het Geluid foundation’, says student association Ceres president Quirine Kerpen. ‘This foundation focuses entirely on improving the mental health of students. They gave an impressive workshop on the topic suicide and how to make it discussable. We thought: what can we do with this in Wageningen? There is already quite a lot of attention for mental well-being, but suicide remains a sensitive subject. But suppose you or someone close to you is struggling with suicidal thoughts, how do you deal with that? With this symposium, we hope to make it discussable and break the silence.’
For fifteen years, the number of suicides among young people and young adults has been increasing. This applies to both women and men, de Volkskrant recently wrote, based on figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). ‘It’s a big problem among young adults’, says Kerpen. ‘Not everyone struggles with it, but almost everyone knows someone directly or indirectly who does.’
Dealing with loss
One of the speakers at the symposium is Ceres member Benjamin de Beaufort, who, together with his brother, will talk about the loss of their brother to suicide. There will also be speakers from 113 Suicide Prevention and the Mind US foundation, says Kerpen.
The symposium will take place Wednesday, June 4, 7.30 pm in the Grote Kerk in Wageningen and is open to the entire Wageningen community. You can register here.
Need help?
● Talk about it if you are thinking about suicide. At 113 Suicide Prevention, someone is available 24/7 via telephone number 0800-0113 or chat via 113.nl. On that site, you will find even more options for help. You do not have to reveal your identity if you do not want to.
● Are you worried about a fellow student or colleague? There are several things you can do for someone who is contemplating suicide. You can get help with this from 113 Suicide Prevention. An overview of the options can be found at www.113.nl/maak-je-je-zorgen-om-iemand. You can also call 0800-0113 directly.
● There are also people at WUR who can help you. Students can find the options by searching for ‘student counseling’ on wur.nl; employees can get support through their company social worker (there is an overview on the intranet, click on mediation & help).
Translated using DeepL.com
