Following a rash of apparent suicides at New York University this semester, many officials in higher education have brought students' mental health concerns to the tops of their agendas.
"With the three suicides at NYU, suicides and suicide gestures seem to be epidemic right now," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs. "Counseling centers around the country are going wild with mental health concerns."
Moneta said he is considering ways to communicate the seriousness of the situation to faculty and staff, and also wants to strengthen the University's support systems for students by enlisting the entire community to watch out for students who may be in danger. "Ideally, I want faculty, staff, everyone at the University to be aware of students who seem unhappy or distressed," he said.
Libby Webb, CAPS assistant director for clinical services, said such an effort could make a difference in encouraging students to talk about their problems.
"If a student feels like somebody cares about their life outside the classroom, how they're doing as a full human being, then I think a student is more apt to turn to that person," Webb said.
For faculty, some of the most obvious indicators of a student in distress are a number of absences from classes or a dramatic shift in the quality of a student's academic work, Webb said. Webb acknowledged, however, that getting faculty and staff involved in students' personal lives may be easier said than done.
"Part of the complication in the Duke student community is the persona that there is nothing wrong," Webb said. "Students are very capable of moving through the academic day seemingly untouched by stress, so it's often very difficult to see a student in their academic life appearing to be in emotional pain."
Webb cited a column published in the Oct. 24 edition of The Chronicle as an example of students' ability to fool faculty, staff and even friends into believing that everything is fine--an ability cultivated and even encouraged by the undergraduate student culture at the University.
"What this woman's column was speaking to is that there is a culture where it does not feel like it's okay to bring vulnerability and emotional distress into the realm of a student's daily life," Webb said.
In the column, written and published anonymously, an undergraduate woman wrote of a "claustrophobic sense of failure" created in part by the need for "effortless perfection," as described in the Women's Initiative report, released Sept. 23.
Moneta said he understood the link between the culture of "effortless perfection" and the feeling of helplessness exhibited in the student's column, and wanted to work at the problem from its roots.
"The solution to all these mental health concerns in the long run is not going to be post-stress therapy, but pre-stress relief," Moneta said. "We need to create a more therapeutic environment and community." Webb said she hoped the Women's Initiative could serve as a powerful stimulator in encouraging more open discussions about the stresses students face.
"It's important for faculty and administrators at each level to begin to contemplate if there is a way to give a balanced message around what the college years are about," she said. "Does the University really, and in what ways does it, communicate that it is okay to not have all the answers? Is this going to lead to students to be able to more clearly speak to their frustrations?"
Webb noted that students seeking emotional support can turn to CAPS. Those who do not feel comfortable talking to a counselor in person, or who feel that CAPS is too visible, can talk to a member of the CAPS staff over the phone and be redirected to other resources, Webb said. Moneta said that, even though CAPS is swamped right now, the University will find a way to help all students.
"If the waiting list for CAPS is too long, we'll simply go find more support," he said. "We will not let resources be a barrier to serving students' mental health needs."
Students can contact CAPS at 660-1000. Students may also ask for the on-call psychiatrist at the Duke University Hospital at 684-8113 if they need help after hours.
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