On April 18 at 12 p.m., University of Massachusetts students and family members gathered to show their support for the 9th annual ‘Out of the Darkness Walk.’ The mile-long walk around campus raised awareness about suicide and funds for prevention efforts.
The walk was hosted by UMass’ chapter of Active Minds, a national organization that has chapters across multiple high schools and colleges. A majority of their work is focused on mental health advocacy and educating people about mental health.
It was held in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which aims to bring hope to those who may be struggling with suicide. Active Minds raised around $15,000 for the cause.
“All [of these] four pillars make up our approach to helping people stay and deal with their struggles,” Karen Carreira, the board chair for the Massachusetts chapter of ASFP, said. “This organization was created from loss survivors, and with the motivation and compassion to help others not experience what they have experienced.”
According to the ASFP website, suicide was the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-34, and is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2023, there were 49,316 Americans who died by suicide.
Other organizations present included the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH), which offers services such as individual therapy and crisis support to UMass students, and the Center for Women and Community, who offer sexual assault focused counseling.
Ami MacDowell, a CCPH Crisis and Acute Care Services Clinician, believes it is important to advertise its services to the community to “destigmatize mental health.”
“I think there’s a big stigma around mental health, that people just kind of assume that if you’re struggling with something, that you have to be medicated, or you have to go to an inpatient type [of] situation, but that’s not true,” Maddie Mardoian, a senior psychology major and a member of Active Minds, said.
“The fact is, we all have it,” Carreira said. “We all have mental health, and the work that we do, to talk about it, to advocate for it and to make parity between our mental health and physical health is a big part of what we do every day.”
During the event, there were complimentary ‘honor beads’ that were worn to symbolize how people have been impacted by suicide or mental health struggles. These beads showed that people were there for different reasons under the same cause.
Each color of the beads represents the different connections and experiences people have had with suicide. The ‘honor beads’ are meant to help others better understand someone’s relationship to the cause.
“Each of us has our own story and reason for being here,” Monica Iriti, a junior psychology major and volunteer for the event, said. “Our honor beads pay tribute to those reasons by recognizing a loved one lost, a personal struggle, or a victory over an invisible illness.”
Many speakers spoke about their personal experiences with mental health, and how it inspired them to walk in support of others who may be struggling with the same issues. Mary Claire Walsh, a public health sciences major who lost her sister to suicide, donated in her sister’s honor, saying, “I’m walking today for her.”
Sabine Krum, a psychology major and one of the co-presidents of Active Minds, also shared some of her experiences, including her struggles with anxiety, with attendees. She spoke about how she struggled with it for “as long as [she] could remember,” and that at some point in her life, she “didn’t think she’d make it to college.”
A point emphasized throughout the event was the importance of standing together for events to show that strength and hope can form when people fight for a cause together. The importance of this community was agreed upon by many of the speakers who spoke at the event.
“While our stories may differ, we stand here together, we walk together, with one unified and powerful goal: to stop suicide,” Iriti said. “Feel the strength of this community and keep that feeling with you as we walk to stop suicide.”
Aiyanna Torres can be reached at [email protected]
