November 7, 2025 - Sarah Geegan & CC Rhein (QPR Training & Suicide Prevention)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (November 7, 2025) – Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people in Kentucky, but University of Kentucky faculty and students are working to change that through a simple, yet powerful idea: communication saves lives. Sarah Geegan, assistant professor in the Department of Integrated Strategic Communication, and C.C. Rhein, a junior ISC major and Gaines Fellow, are leading outreach and education efforts promoting QPR — Question, Persuade, Refer — a national training program that teaches anyone how to recognize warning signs, ask difficult questions, and connect people in crisis to help.  Through a partnership with UK HealthCare, the QPR training is now available free of charge to all Kentuckians at UKHealthCare.com/QPR. The 30-minute online session provides practical tools that can prepare anyone to offer hope and immediate support to someone in need. On this episode of "Behind the Blue", Geegan and Rhein discuss how QPR works, why breaking stigma around mental health is essential, and how compassion and awareness can create a ripple effect of hope. Geegan reflects on her own experiences and research in suicide prevention communication, while Rhein shares how she has used her QPR training to help peers in real-life situations. Together, they highlight how every Kentuckian — student, staff, or neighbor — can be part of a lifesaving safety net. "Behind the Blue" is available via a variety of podcast providers, including iTunes and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. "Behind the Blue" is a joint production of the University of Kentucky and UK HealthCare. Transcripts for most episodes are now embedded in the audio file and can be accessed in many podcast apps during playback. Transcripts for older episodes remain available on the show's blog page.  To discover how the University of Kentucky is advancing our Commonwealth, click here.