Objective: This case study examined the effects of an early intervention program designed to respond to residential college students demonstrating risk for suicide.
Participants: Participants were 108 undergraduates at a large northeastern public university referred to an early intervention program subsequent to presenting with risk factors for suicide between Fall 2004 and Spring 2011.
Methods: Data were collected from archival records to examine quality of early intervention services, student retention, and grade point average (GPA) during the semesters prior to, during, and subsequent to the referral incident.
Results: Program implementation was timely and responsive to student needs; students successfully completing the early intervention program remained in school and demonstrated small but significant rebounds in GPA the semester subsequent to the incident.
Conclusions: There are benefits associated with the implementation of early intervention programs designed to respond to students manifesting risk for suicide, such as connecting the student to vital services and support networks.
Keywords: community health; counseling; mental health; prevention; suicide.