Last spring, for the first time in 10 years, an Oberlin student took her own life.
But in the wake of the tragedy, in the search for answers and closure, a question for the community remains: was this suicide an isolated incident, or the heralding of a national trend?
The increase in youth suicide, already the second leading cause of death among college students after accidents, has been accompanied by a rising tide of student depression. Oberlin, by some measures, seems to be following suit.
On average, 40 more students visited Oberlin’s Counseling Center in the last two academic years.
By some accounts — albeit less sinister ones — Oberlin is even leading the pack. The percentage of students who say they are “overwhelmed” or “feeling depressed” in a freshman survey has been slightly but consistently higher at Oberlin than at its sister schools, such as Hamilton, Wesleyan and Vassar.
Counseling Center Director Charlie Ross has worked at Oberlin for more than two decades, and says the recent increase in students seeking help for depression doesn’t yet amount to a long-term pattern. Rather, he explains, the difference is one of quality rather than quantity. The last five years have seen more cases of full-blown depression.
“When I first got here, we focused primarily on developmental issues, [such as] separating from home,” Ross said. “Twenty years ago there was less anguish, [students came in with] lighter issues.”
These days, Ross continues, depression is more often accompanied by other disturbing symptoms, such as self-mutilation. Half a dozen students were hospitalized last year because of “acute risk to self.”
“[There was] a change six years ago,” Director of Health Services Lori Hieronymus said. Now, “more students are coming in with a history of treatment, and they expect us to provide follow-up care.”
Some parents of incoming students even call the College in August to make sure its mental health services are up to par.
Dean of Students Peter Goldsmith says that they are.
“When you look at staffing averages in staffing centers across the country, it appears that our current staffing level is appropriate, if not luxurious,” Goldsmith said. “I think we need to be watchful to make sure that we are up to the task of meeting this need. But to date I think the evidence suggests we’re dealing with issues of depression relatively effectively.”
Not everyone, though, is so sure.
“They do a good job, but they’re understaffed,” Hieronymus said, pointing out that four psychologists and one post-doctoral counselor must accommodate an average of 550 students a year.
As a result, the Center is usually booked at least a month in advance, leaving walk-ins as a last resort for those who can’t schedule a regular session. Some students stake out a spot in the waiting room an hour before walk-in hours begin.
In at least one way, the College has downsized student access to psychological treatment over the past 20 years. In the early ‘80s, students could schedule an unlimited number of appointments. Today, though, they are limited to eight sessions a year.
Some say it isn’t enough.
“Getting eight free sessions is nice, but it would be much better if people who needed more than that could get it for free,” fifth-year Katy Goodman said.
The counseling center usually sends students who need additional treatment to private practices in town.
Other colleges are turning to alternative measures to deal with the problem.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, already requires all students to take first semester classes pass/fail as part of an effort to cut down on academic pressures while students adjust. Newsweek reports that Ball State University in Indiana has established “stress-free zones,” equipped with massage chairs and stress-relieving toys to get students to feel more comfortable visiting the therapist’s office.
But with 85 percent of counseling centers seeing more students with serious psychological problems than ever before, according to a study by the University of Pittsburgh, the problem seems unlikely to be easily resolved.
In search of solutions, experts point to a number of possible causes.
Some say the stigma associated with therapy is starting to wear off.
“Because it’s become more acceptable in our culture [to get mental help] people are seeking out treatment earlier, and getting diagnosed with disorders earlier,” Hieronymus said. Students used to getting treatment at home come to college expecting similar service.
The anti-depressant revolution has also opened college doors to students who once wouldn’t have made it past high school, according to Ross.
“Ten years ago if we suggested medication, we would meet with a lot of resistance,” he said. “Now we have lots of people coming in already on antidepressants or asking [for medication].”
Hieronymus sees the rise in depression as a reflection of certain fundamental changes in our culture, citing such problems as information overload, lack of exercise and less-defined gender roles.
Ross stressed, however, that students can easily overcome these afflictions with the right help.
He used the analogy of a rocket—if nudged early on its flight, the path it takes will change dramatically.
“It’s very rewarding to work with college students,” he said. “[Because of their youth] they have an awful lot of potential. A college counseling center is an optimistic place to be.”