A suicide prevention initiative across a multi-campus university before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Increasing rates of depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among college students were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report describes how components of the Johns Hopkins Suicide Prevention Awareness, Response and Coordination (JH-SPARC) Project aligned with a multi-faceted strategy for suicide prevention. Key programs included suicide screening, gatekeeper trainings, and the use of third-party mental health services. Regarding suicide screening outcomes, staff sent 36,148 individual emails inviting students and trainees to participate in stress and depression screening. This approach garnered 2,634 responses and connected 130 students to care, 66 of whom (50.8%) indicated suicidal thoughts, plans, or behaviors. We estimate this screening cost $2.97 per student. Important lessons included the reliance on virtual platforms and the need to coordinate efforts across multiple campuses. Our manuscript provides an example of a transferable strategy for suicide prevention on college campuses in the pandemic era.