On the heels of the Dickinson State University student disappearances comes more tragic college-related news. According to Washington Square News, a student was found dead in the New York University’s Bobst Library. The student, a junior, was reportedly found early Tuesday morning. The library was closed down for part of the morning.
Though school officials said in an email released to the student body that there was no conclusion surrounding the exact cause of death, they believe that the student, a junior at the College of Arts and Sciences, had taken his own life.
“I am at great sorrow for the NYU community. Conditions are still being determined by the medical examiner,” university spokesman John Beckman said, according to WSN.
NYU Vice President emphasized that the university was “trying to honor the interest” of the student’s family. For his part, Beckman concluded the university’s official statement by saying:
“I know I speak for the entire NYU community when I say that this student’s family and loved ones are in our thoughts and our hearts and our prayers. The family has asked that they be accorded the greatest possible degree of privacy and sensitivity in this difficult hour, and I would hope that we all shall strive to comply.”
Our Take
Recent reports from the University of Michigan have shown that occurrences of students suffering from depression, and other mental health problems, continue to rise.
According to the University of Michigan’s Daniel Eisenberg, who recently conducted a study asking college counselors about the mental health problems which occur on their campuses, 90 percent of college counseling services reported an increase in the number of students with mental health problems. But, as our own Misty Mix wrote, this is not a recent trend by any means.
A USA Today article written in 2002 showed that, at the time, 85 percent colleges who responded to a survey reported an increase in the number of students with severe psychological problems. According to many experts, suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst college students. Sad as it is, it shouldn’t be that great of a surprise, as many college students have difficulties coping with scholastic difficulties.
But there is reason for hope. The university wrote in their official statement something that every college student should take to heart:
“No matter how difficult things might seem at any particular moment, your life is filled with promise, you belong in and are part of a community that
cherishes your presence, you are loved, and there are many people at hand ready and willing to help you—your professors, the staff in the residence halls...your family, and your friends. I am certain of this: there are many resources to help you, and harming oneself is absolutely the wrong choice.”
To find out where you can be screened for depression, go here.
