University works to prevent suicide

Last winter, the University witnessed its first campus suicide in about a decade. Few suicides occur at Princeton, but suicide rates of college students nationwide have been increasing since the 1960s.

Even though suicides on campus are rare, each year several University students attempt suicide.

Since September, five or six students have been hospitalized for suicidal tendencies, including one student yesterday morning, said Daniel Silverman, University chief medical officer.

To reduce the number of attempted suicides, the University has expanded its counseling services and provided individualized treatment in recent years.

Attempted suicide is not specifically tracked, Silverman said. "But with some regularity students are placed into treatment, usually before an attempt is ever made," he said.

Suicide seems to be more common among graduate students, he said, pointing to last winter's suicide of a 32-year-old graduate student in his second year.

"Graduate school provides less of a peer group. It tends to be a very solitary experience without social connections and support," Silverman said.

Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson said she didn't think undergraduates at Princeton experienced more stress than they experienced in high school.

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Silverman said Princeton is aggressive in placing students into therapy.

"We rather err on the side of being overly cautious and proactive when it comes to finding help for students," he said. "We have avoided what seems to be the rash of suicides other schools have recently seen. When students are given the appropriate care, they don't see a need to take it to the next level."

Dickerson said there are services on and off campus that have let students return to school successfully.

Silverman said that University Health Services learn of a student who may have suicidal tendencies usually through a friend, residential adviser or roommate.

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A student reported yesterday that a classmate had intentionally ingested a large quantity of Tylenol, the most common means of attempted suicide, Silverman said.

The student was immediately transported for treatment to the University Medical Center of Princeton, formerly called PMC.

The two roommates of the hospitalized student were then taken in for counseling.

"We respect the attempts made by friends and roommates to support a suicidal friend," Silverman said. "We often work with that third party and coach them on how to bring their suicidal friend in for counseling."

He emphasized that reaching out to students and building trust and friendships are some of the best ways to correctly treat patients.

During the last few years, the number of students using Princeton's counseling services has steadily increased 15 percent to 18 percent per year, Silverman said.

A year ago, Princeton implemented a crisis team to speed up services and provide more attention.

"Within minutes we see and assess students," Silverman said. Though the service has been "unbelievably busy," the team has seen more patients with better results.

A survey last year revealed that depression — closely related to suicidal tendancies — is viewed by students as the second largest health problem on campus.

Many more students are arriving on campus using antidepressants, Silverman said.

Silverman expressed some concern about friends and roommates wanting to foster and take care of emotionally unstable roommates without seeking professional help.

"Where this is a nice gesture," Silverman said, "it can be a burden to the caregiver."

Student organizations, such as the Peer Health Educators, address issues such as depression and suicidal risk. The group is hosting a depression screening tomorrow in the library of McCosh Health Center.

"We want to determine how many students are struggling with depression, and make sure they are aware of their resources," said Jinha Kim '05, a Peer Health Educator intern. Peer Health Educators also hold information sessions for RA groups on health topics, including suicide, she said.

"We are a resource group. People can turn to us, and we can point them towards help," Peer Health Educator Wonha Kim '04 said.