At the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), stress experienced by the Ivy League students has been thrust into focus after a rash of apparent suicides on campus.
The school announced Wednesday the creation of the Task Force on Student Psychological Health and Welfare. UPenn president Amy Gutmann and provost Vincent formed the group to help students manage stress, crises and other psychological problems they may deal with.
"Like peer campuses across the country, Penn has seen increasing need for psychological support services and programs, and we have worked assiduously to ensure the wellbeing of our students," Gutmann said in the press release. "Now is the time to review our work and to ensure that we have in place the best practices in outreach, education, intervention, and treatment."
The announcement noted that recent studies and surveys have indicated that anxiety and depression are becoming more prevalent for college students. At an Ivy League school like UPenn, students can feel even more pressure than students at other schools to perform academically. The problem is only exacerbated when factoring in how many students need to pay for school on their own or rely on large sums financial aid and loans.
Former dean of arts and sciences Rebecca Bushnell and professor of psychiatry and pediatrics Anthony Rostain will co-chair the task force.
"The distinguished members of this Task Force bring both deep expertise and broad experience to the task of addressing these challenging issues," said Gutmann. "I am grateful for their willingness to serve the Penn Community in this way."
Since the winter break ended and the spring semester began, UPenn has seen four student deaths. Madison Holleran, a 19-year-old track athlete, committed suicide by leaping from a parking garage in late Jan. Elvis Hatcher, 18, also committed suicide by hanging himself just weeks after Holleran's death. Two other students died since Dec., but their causes of death were undisclosed.
An advocate for suicide prevention, Dr. Victor Schwartz, medical director of the Jed Foundation, told the Huffington Post schools do not have an easy task in handling the tragic events and preventing them from happening again.
Said Schwartz, "What you're trying to do after an event like this both give the students a chance to process and grieve around what has happened, and keeping an eye out for anyone struggling with depression or other mental health problems."
