Three Ohio University students committed suicide since the beginning of this school year, all occurring within about a month of one another.
Although more students in the U.S. are seeking counseling, some of the students most at-risk for suicide are not requesting help, said Ann Haas, prevention projects director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among 15-to 24-year-olds and is estimated to be the second-leading cause of death among college students, according to the American Psychiatric Association Web site.
OU graduate student Pamela Radcliff, 25, and fifth-year senior Patrick Gorman, 24, committed suicide during Fall Quarter, followed by graduate student Albert Karikari Adusah, 35, in December.
No student suicides occurred on campus during 2006 and 2007, and one suicide a year occurred during 2004 and 2005, said OU Police Chief Andrew Powers.
In response to growing student demand for counseling services, Hudson Health Center's Counseling and Psychological Services will add two new psychologists and a psychiatrist to the staff next year, despite a universitywide hiring freeze.
The center has seen an increasing number of appointments in the past few years, from 5,929 visits in 2004-05 to 8,409 visits last school year.
Laura Gorman, whose brother Patrick attended OU and committed suicide in November, said therapy is helping her family cope with the loss of Patrick and also helped her in the past when she experienced her own bouts of depression in college.
Mental health problems, and especially suicide, carry a stigma. Sometimes people don't want to be reminded that those problems occur, Gorman said.
Like her brother, Gorman experienced depression during her college years at the University of Iowa, and started to regularly visit a therapist after her boyfriend at the time persuaded her to get professional help.
I had really good support
so I was fortunate Gorman said, adding that she might not have sought help without her boyfriend's influence.You also have to open up to people.
Stepping forward
Although Patrick did go to therapy on and off at OU, he didn't consistently take his medication, which was prescribed to treat some mental health conditions, including depression, Gorman said.
(Therapy) is hard to regulate with people because they're adults Gorman said. I also think that ... you can tell your therapist ... 'I'm doing fine.' They can't follow you around all the time.
Even though many students use counseling services at college, some of those with the most serious mental illnesses are the least likely to seek help voluntarily, Haas said.
Year after year counseling center directors ... report the same thing
she said. That out of the suicides that occur
only a very small percent had gotten services through their counseling services.
In an effort to approach suicide prevention proactively, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention piloted an online screening project at Emory University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to identify students at risk for suicide and encourage them to get treatment.
Clinicians analyze questionnaire results and send respondents personalized assessments, which emphasize the need for face-to-face treatment for at-risk students. Students also are able to communicate anonymously with clinicians online to ask questions.
Of the 1,162 students who responded, about 85 percent were experiencing significant psychological problems but were not receiving any treatment. About 20 percent of those came in for face-to-face treatment.
At OU, about 93 percent of the 2,105 students who tested positive for significant mental health problems with Hudson's Counseling and Psychological Services' online evaluation last year are not currently receiving treatment.
More than 60 percent of all people who commit suicide suffer from depression, according to the foundation's Web site.
Many students are concerned that any history of counseling will show up on their record and affect future graduate studies and job opportunities, Haas said, adding that others worry about their parents finding out through insurance bills or from a mental health professional.
Most students who are seriously depressed and are not getting treatment have what they think are good reasons
Haas said.
Giving students the opportunity to ask questions about these barriers anonymously, such as with the screening project's online dialogue tool, could encourage them to seek counseling, she said.
Even though people acknowledge the prevalence of depression and other problems among college students, the stigma associated with mental illnesses still influences the way people think, Haas said.
What we know to be true isn't always the same as what we believe
she said. I've often been struck at how frequently college students express reluctance at being identified as having a mental health problem.
College introduces stressors, such as academic workload and heightened competition, with developmental changes like leaving home for the first time and adjusting to a new environment, Haas said.
I think we know that it's time in late adolescence
early adulthood
when many mental illnesses begin to develop
she said. It makes the college years sort of time for elevated vulnerability for many people.
Kevin Byrd, director for the OU psychology department's clinic, said many college students mask their problems with carefree attitudes to avoid the judgment of their peers.
Everybody's kind of putting up a front that everything is cool and OK
he said. (Students with depression) feel that they're the only ones that are struggling or having down days.
Many college students are self-conscious about showing their vulnerability to another person, Gorman said.
You're still in the high school mode; you're still in 'what will people think' mode. You have to shake it
