A thousand backpacks spread across a college campus represent the more than one thousand suicides among college students every year in the country.
To shed light on this troubling statistic, over 1,000 backpacks will be on display at San Diego City College as part of Send Silence Packing, a powerful traveling exhibit representing the number of college students who end their lives.
The County Health and Human Services Agency’s Behavioral Health Services funded the exhibit, which will be on display at three local colleges and universities.
Send Silence Packing takes place today, May 9th, until 4 p.m. at San Diego City College’s Curran Plaza. City College is located at 1313 Park Blvd. in San Diego.
The exhibit will then travel to Palomar College where it will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m next Thursday, May 17th. Palomar College’s address is 1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos.
It first arrived at Cal State University San Marcos on April 30.
Send Silence Packing was designed to raise awareness about the incidence and impact of suicide among college students, and connect them to needed help, which some people don’t get because of the stigma associated with mental health issues. A total of 431 San Diegans ended their lives in 2016.
County Behavioral Health Services decided to bring Send Silence Packing to the region to raise awareness about suicide prevention and mental health as part of May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and need immediate help, call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Resources are also available at the It’s Up to Us website.
Photo Credit: SD County