Preventing suicide, as a community

We should dedicate ourselves to answering that question affirmatively. Our community has been deeply touched by the news of Cornell’s recent suicides. As we support their healing process, it is also important for us to affirm our commitment to the health and well-being of our own community, and to recognize that suicide prevention calls for a community effort at multiple levels.

Counseling and Psychological Services at McCosh Health Center provides a full range of mental-health services, including specialized treatment and support designed to help our students through periods of distress and illness. We take suicidal thoughts and behaviors very seriously: Safety is our first priority. We are able to closely monitor the safety and levels of risk for students already under our care and respond in appropriately therapeutic ways.

But for students who are not already engaged in treatment, the student’s network of support plays a critical role. Fellow students, friends, family members, faculty and staff are sometimes in the best position to recognize changes in behavior and encourage students who need professional help to obtain it. It’s important to understand that it isn’t always easy for members of our community to seek help for mental-health concerns.

Cultural stigma and personal barriers, as well as a strong sense of independence and personal responsibility, can prevent us from getting help when we need it most. The college years are the time in our lives when we begin to assert our autonomy and independence as maturing adults. It is also a period of emotional and psychological vulnerability mixed with considerable academic and relational stress. The need for help and support in negotiating these stresses can be misinterpreted as a disappointment in one’s self efficacy or even a failure. This is especially the case in a highly competitive environment where peers are perceived to be successfully negotiating the same issues. However, the ability to seek the help and support of others when appropriate is also an essential attribute of a mature and balanced individual. A culture that over-values independence and stigmatizes seeking help exacerbates these vulnerabilities. A culture that recognizes appropriate interdependence can break down barriers to seeking help and foster prevention.

Suicide affects the entire community. A culture that recognizes appropriate interdependence also encourages us to respond to the distress of others in support of the community as a whole. In our community, we must encourage a strong ethos that values taking action when our peers need help. The first step has to be a decision to reach out. If an individual in trouble is unable to reach out, then a caring other might do so, and every member of our community can be a partner in supporting individuals in distress. We understand that sometimes treatment for mental illness provokes anxiety and can feel unfamiliar. Nevertheless, treatment can help, and CPS clinicians make every effort to be sensitive to students’ particular needs, doubts, and cultural and religious beliefs. The healing process takes time, and CPS can provide support and maintain safety during that period.

CPS is not the only option at Princeton. For students who are hesitant to contact CPS directly, there are multiple safety and support networks and staff who can help bridge the gap. Staff in the residential colleges — deans, directors of studies and directors of student life — the Graduate School, the Office of Religious Life and SHARE — Sexual Harrassment/Assault Advising, Resources, and Education — have considerable experience and can determine when clinical intervention is needed. Our student peer advisers, trained by Health Promotion and Wellness Services at McCosh, can also help guide students to these and other community resources.

Crisis intervention is a priority for CPS, and clinicians are available around the clock during the academic year to respond to urgent and emergency situations. We set aside time every day for students seeking urgent consultation. Crises are subjective experiences, and people experiencing them can feel that life’s stressors have overwhelmed their own capacity to cope effectively. Students in crisis walk in, call or are brought to McCosh. After hours, a CPS clinician is on call to respond to emergencies. If the risk seems imminent and you feel that a student might hurt himself, you should call Public Safety immediately.

In collaboration with student peer advisers, CPS conducts mental-health screenings for students each semester, and the next one is scheduled for 5:30–8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 7, in Wilson College. We hope to see you there.

It has been said that “suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem,” but a community effort to prevent suicide can become the new permanent solution for our community. It is our hope that partners across campus will join us in this effort.

Dr. Anita McLean is the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services. She can reached at amclean@princeton.edu.