Marshall University will be holding QRP suicide prevention training March 2. This one-hour session will be from 5- 6 p.m. in the basement of Gullickson Hall. Students will have the chance to learn how to help someone who is dealing with suicidal thoughts or trying to complete suicide.

“QRP stands for question, persuade and response.”, said Katelyn Fowler, head of the suicide prevention training program. “We encourage all students to come out for just an hour of their time, for this could be life saving information that they are going to receive. They will be getting some different techniques on how to stop someone who is on the verge of committing suicide.”

James Williams, a sophomore student at Marshall, said he is planning on attending the training to learn how to talk to people about suicidal thoughts.

“As a kid, I had friends try to commit suicide but I never new how to talk to them about it because I didn’t know what to say. It made me feel bad that I couldn’t help,” Williams said. “Me and a couple of my roommates are planning on going to the training so that we know what to do if we ever run into that type of situation in the future.”

Maria Sullivan, a Huntington resident, said she is happy the university is having the QPR training to help people learn about suicide prevention.

“Marshall University having this training is very inspirational in my eyes because you never know who is out there seeking help,” Sullivan, said. “It could be a kid who attends the training that maybe dealing with suicidal thoughts themselves and are looking for techniques to help themselves, you just never know.”

Jason Lyles, a senior at Marshall said he knows there are multiple situations that can lead people to think about suicide.

“It’s sad to say that this past year, suicide has been a very big topic in the world,” Lyles said. “With mental health being such a big problem in the United States, it has led to depression and anxiety, which also can lead to suicide. Bullying and family history can also be key factors of suicide.”

The program is free and will be led by certified health professionals.

Taevion Kinsey can be contacted at [email protected].