A college education goes beyond earning a diploma. The life lessons you gain from the people you meet and relationships you form ultimately surpasses what you might learn in the classroom. These valuable experiences are what makes going away to college so attractive to students ready to break away from home. However, recent events have started to shed light on a darker and more sinister part of college: the issue of mental illness amongst college students.
At the end of January, the Associated Press reported the suicide of a University of Pennsylvania student who was a member of the track team. While over 1,000 students commit suicide on college campuses each year, according to the American College Health Association, this particular story gained national headlines, most likely because the victim was a successful student athlete and not someone anyone ever expected to end their life. Madison Holleran could have been the poster child for a perfect college student. She was active on campus, excelling in both the classroom and varsity athletics. Holleran finished her first semester with a 3.5 GPA and came into UPenn running the fastest 800 meter time in New Jersey, according to the Daily Beast.
With such a bright future ahead, we are left to shake our heads and ask why she chose to end her life. It’s puzzling to see an individual with so much going for them to fall victim to the perils of their own depression. But Holleran was not alone in successful student athletes suffering from depression. Nine months ago, Paige Aiello, a tennis player and a student from the College of New Jersey who had been weeks shy from graduation, decided to take her own life, according to Philly.com. The New York Times reported in 2005 the tragedy of Owen Thomas, a member of the UPenn football team who hung himself weeks after being named team captain. With students who seem to appear fine on the outside, the question is raised whether the pressures of performing well in athletics and/or academics correlates with these tragic events. And, if so, perhaps more therapists should be at hand on campuses in addition to the readily available physical trainers or student advisers.
Holleran’s story hit close to home for me as a college track athlete myself. News reports will tell you she left a note and gifts to her family, but they cannot tell you why she did it. Her father did disclose that she was unhappy due to the stress and pressure that comes with balancing academics and athletics and that she wanted to transfer, according to The New York Times.
As student athletes, we are given scholarships, team gear and the chance to travel to compete. We usually have a staff of individuals that care for us from head coaches to physical therapists to strength and conditioning coaches. All of this is at our disposal to increase our performance and keep us physically healthy. But while there are ice baths to relax sore muscles and bandages to wrap sprained ankles, the aid given to athletes starts to drop off at mental health. If Madison had a trained professional to talk to about the issues she was facing, maybe her life could have been saved.
Bridget Hickey, a junior majoring in marine science-biology and member of the varsity crew team, gave her thoughts on the matter: “After practice, if my arm hurts, I’m going to get ice. But if I feel like I’m under-performing or feeling down about myself, I’ll just continue to blame myself because I don’t think society views mental illness as an actual illness, and we see it as something that you can snap out of.”
Hickey also spoke on the stigma often placed on mental illness, commenting, “It’s not something you’d want to amplify, because who’s going to want a mentally unstable athlete on the court? Or in your boat? There’s this pressure to always be able to balance both classes and practices, but if you’re feeling down, you don’t really want to show that.”
The same goes for students who are not involved in athletics. The pressures of attending high performance institutions has proven to be an issue with the high number of suicides that take place on college campuses. For example, in 2012, Cornell University had to install nets over several bridges due to having three students jump to their deaths that academic year, according to The New York Times.
Although many schools do offer counseling (UT offers counseling at the Dickey Health and Wellness Center), it seems that a lot of schools are simply failing in the treatment of depression and other mental illnesses amongst their students. NewsWeek published the testimony of a Princeton student who was kicked out of student housing after a suicide attempt. The university claimed he had missed too many classes during his time at the hospital. The student believed this was prejudice because had he contracted a viral disease or broken a leg, there would have been more leniency. It’s appalling to hear that even one of the top universities in our nation hasn’t a clue on how to address and care for students with mental illnesses.
The Jed Foundation is looking to change this problem and provide more mental health programs for universities, according to University Herald. The Jed Foundation was formed 12 years ago by Donna and Phil Satow after they lost their son to suicide. Jed is focused on providing universities with programs that are aimed to prevent suicide among their students. Some universities are starting to join or use similar programs. Drexel University President John A. Fry created a task force last year after two student suicides, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He spoke with the Inquirer on the tragedy of Madison Holleran and said, “This whole issue is a tragedy on our campus and on many campuses. I wanted to make sure we were doing everything that we could.”
College comes with many pressures and feelings of isolation when a student is away from home. For the most part, it is normal, but at times it could lead to something more serious. Depression is not just a phase that can easily go away and students should take advantage of counselors on campus like those at our own health center.
The first step in treating students is to talk about suicide and depression and make the issue known on campus. If it’s swept under the rug, then a stigma is placed on it, which may make it impossible or uncomfortable for students to talk about it with their peers or seek help from mental health professionals. If you’re feeling depressed or suicidal, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Vanessa Righeimer can be reached at vanessa.righeimer@spartans.ut.edu