Suicide can happen, even here

Why did she do it? Was it the stress of classes, social problems, family problems or chronic depression that fueled her last few thoughts? Were there any warning signs? Could you have stopped her? These questions would be rushing through your head in the minutes, days and even years after finding your deceased friend. And these are the questions that the Princeton community had to ask about a senior in 2006 who drove across the country before committing suicide at a California storage facility, a sophomore in 2004 who ingested cyanide and a graduate student who took his life in Lockhart Hall in 2003. Suicide also claimed the lives of another student in 1993, and two more in 1987.

It is the unfortunate truth that Princeton is not immune to suicide. In 2001, the last year for which I was able to find data, 8.2 percent of Princeton students responding to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment survey “seriously considered suicide one or more times during the last school year,” and 45.6 percent “reported they felt so depressed that it was difficult to function at least once during the last school year.” It is unlikely that the prevalence of stress, depression and other mental-health afflictions has declined over the last decade, suggesting that Princeton students still feel a significant burden.

Though it’s impossible to arrive at an exact number for how many students attempt suicide each year, an estimate based on The Daily Princetonian archives pegs the number in the low single digits. In the two years I have been here, I have become aware of two attempted suicides, and I have witnessed several students admit their desire to commit suicide. I will never forget any of these admissions, and to an extent, I feel responsible for these students because they put me in a position where I had the ability to seek help on their behalf. I acted upon the information I was given, and I deeply hope that these students are now receiving the counseling that they need. I will carry images of the moments in which I heard their admissions for the rest of my life. However, I know that my memories would weigh even more heavily upon me had I not done something for those students.

Most of the undergraduates here have the fortune of not having been around in 2006, when our last suicide occurred. I worry, though, that since we’ve never felt the sting that a suicide can cause in such a small community and have never wondered “Who could be next?” we have been lulled into a sense of complacency about suicide. The it-couldn’t-happen-at-Princeton attitude is a dangerous one.

We need only look to our peers at Cornell in order to understand how fleeting this complacency can be. After going five years without a student suicide, Cornell has seen six suicides in as many months. According to conversations with friends there, a dark cloud has been cast over Cornell, with students reminded of the suicides every time they cross a bridge over the school’s gorges and see the police officers and EMTs stationed at each end. In the wake of the suicides, Cornell students have made a concerted effort to look out for each other’s mental well-being, and the school has increased the counseling services available to its students. As one friend put it, “We don’t want to receive another one of those e-mails.”

Because I have seen my friends at Cornell live in a heightened state of tension, and because I have witnessed Princeton students on the verge of suicide, I am asking for your vigilance. I believe that we can prevent suicides on campus, so long as we make a commitment to our friends, peers and hallmates to care for their mental well-being.

If you see people struggling, take a few minutes to let them know that you are there for them should they need somebody to talk to. No matter what challenges this University throws at somebody, nobody is alone. And if your concern persists, do not hesitate to consult with Counseling and Psychological Services at McCosh Health Center. McCosh has mental-health practitioners on call 24 hours a day. They take claims extremely seriously and maintain the privacy of all involved. Counseling and Psychological Services can be reached at 609-258-3285. In the case of an emergency, however, call 911.

Finally, if you, yourself, have been having feelings of hopelessness, have not been eating or sleeping regularly, have bodily aches that you cannot explain or just feel generally down, please know that there are many people here who care for you and many people who can help you weather any storm. Treat yourself like you would your best friend and seek out assistance. Your life may depend on it.