Davidson LifeLine Hosts Sucide Prevention Training

“Losing her was a big loss for him and me personally,” she said.

Due the town’s small size of 15,000, the five suicides in 2012 attracted the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) concern. According supporting the wellbeing of the student body. She was involved in bringing LifeLine to campus.

“We decided to have this training because we wanted to be more intentional about before medical services arrive.

“You just want to connect somebody who may be having a mental health crisis… to somebody they can turn to for help,” Merrifield said.

In 2012, the town of Davidson lost five people to suicide. In light of the tragedies, town leaders and concerned parents gathered to discuss a plan of action, culminating in the launch of the Davidson LifeLine Organization. Davidson Lifeline is a non-profit community led initiative that strives to support mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

Diana Merrifield started as a volunteer for Davidson Lifeline in 2012 with some of her friends in response to the suicides— she then took over as President in 2021. She has lived in Davidson for almost seventeen years and has three children that went to Hough High School in Cornelius to WCNC Charlotte, Davidson’s suicide rate was five times the national average in 2012. Furthermore, several studies have shown that people who lose a family member or close friend to suicide are more likely to attempt suicide themselves. This heightened Merrifield’s concern for her son.

“I do not have a background in mental health but I have a background in compassion and caring for my community,” Merrifield said.

Merrifield has a personal connection to the organization’s goal. Her high school-age son lost a close friend to suicide.

“Our mission is to break down the stigma for seeking help for mental health,” she explained.

On April 8 from 1 pm to 3 pm, Davidson LifeLine hosted a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training on campus to raise suicide awareness and offer prevention training.

Angela L. Harris is the Assistant Dean of Students and Case Manager at Davidson, and part of her work includes promoting and providing training to students who can support their peers,” Harris said.

According to Harris, Davidson instituted this program to equip students with the necessary tools to help their peers in the event that a friend is expressing signs of self harm, depression, or suicidal thoughts.

“Students will often express their mental health concerns to other students before connecting to a trusted counselor,” Harris explained.

The training provided information on signsof suicidal thoughts that may not be obvious, such as a shift in personal habits or an uptake in using substances like alcohol.

Merrifield compares the three step process of QPR to CPR, as both are actions taken

Cle Pennington ‘22, a Mental Health Outreach Fellow at the College, said that another important aspect of QPR training is learning how to help a friend in need without harming one’s own mental health.

“What I imagine QPR training achieving is empowering students to protect themselves and their peers so they don’t get caught in a situation where this person’s suicidal ideation or their negative emotions are starting to erode the life, habits, or feelings of a student who cares very deeply for their friends,” Pennington said.

Merrifield explained that talking about suicide openly will create spaces for students who feel like they cannot reach out for help.

“It’s an hour of your time to have a conversation that may save someone’s life,” Merrifield said.