<p>Hi I am new here though I have lurked and done my share of reading here and there for a few months. I have a daughter at GWU and we were just devasted to get the news that yet another student has taken his life. There are many stories circulating but most confirm that this young man was reclusive and as a parent..one has to wonder assuming this was true, weren't there signs...the first thing you think is why didn't anyone notice, a teacher, a peer, a roommate, it troubles me and pains me so much to think of the despair that a young adult or anyone for that matter has to feel to take their own life. </p>
<p>My heart breaks for him and for his family left behind to deal with the devastation of losing a son, a brother, a friend this way. Why does it seem to happen more and more? As a parent about to send yet another child off to college it is disturbing and so troubling and underscores more than ever how important it is for our kids to reach out when they are hurting or in trouble and for us as a society to work very hard to remove the stimga attached to depression. Absolutley heartbreaking.</p>
<p>UVa lost a student last month falling off a roof of a classroom building. Initial reports were that it was an accident - he was just playing around on the roof, and apparently wasn’t even drunk.</p>
<p>I don’t really think there’s any stigma attached to depression, anymore. Not really.</p>
<p>i think the greatest problem with depression is that the depressed person has a hard time reaching out for help. It is almost as if the greater the need for help, the harder it is for them to ask. And, I think this is because deeply depressed people have such a tremendously difficult time doing anything at all for themselves, or even knowing what to do. Confusion is a huge component of that type of depression, as is the inability to make a decision.</p>
<p>I’m sorry for this family. These tragedies that occur each year seem so unbearable for everyone involved.</p>
<p>there are threads on this on the Cornell pages as last year there were 6 suicides. As the parent of a freshman there this year, I was really pleased with the proactive nature of the administration in dealing with it.</p>
<p>this is always so tragic. Usually there is a lot that is unknown too out of respect for the families.</p>
<p>Cornell provided training to professors, students and staff to help increase awareness and make sure that students that were having a hard time had people looking after them and directing them to places for help. I think they also increased availabilty or hours to the counseling center.</p>
<p>I would want to hear from the administration and see if there is anything they are doing to help address the issue on campus so that kids never feel like they have no one to talk to. Kids should know how and where to access help. And their roommates/friends/peers should know how to suggest that someone get help without reprecussions.</p>
<p>When was depressed and basically suicidal I never asked for help because I didn’t think anyone could change anything, the world was stuck as it is and living a lifetime didn’t seem any more worth while than living a few days. Why take the long route to get to the same end?</p>
<p>I would also like to point out that depression is not always as notcible as people like to think. The way I blocked out the world was to put on a front of happiness and kindness, I played a role in order to keep my secrets. When it all came rolling out no one had any idea how close I was to losing it.</p>
<p>"…Movement in national suicide trends often results from specific factors in different age groups and other demographics. Alex Crosby, an epidemiologist who works with suicide data at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he had not yet analyzed the most recent numbers because they were preliminary and would have more meaning as part of multiyear trends.</p>
<p>But some of the emerging trends he identified a few years ago among subgroups appear to be continuing or even increasing: The relatively low rate of suicides among ages 15 to 24, which rose slightly several years ago, did not decline in 2008 or 2009.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most dramatic trend is not new but has now continued to increase for a decade: The suicide rate among ages 45 to 64 grew 28 percent between 1999 and 2009, surpassing what for years was the most suicide-prone demographic, the elderly"…</p>
<p>Its not an opinion there is hard evidence supporting this. All you have to do is google it, the numbers dont’ lie. I wish that was not the case…trust me.</p>
<p>I don’t think there are necessarily signs that someone is in trouble. It seems to me I’ve read about more than one case recently where the family didn’t realize the person was depressed.</p>
<p>Symptoms of depression in adolescents can be different than those in adults. Key symptoms can include:
academic decline, disruptive behavior, social problems, aggression, irritability, self destructive talk, compromised concentration, loss of interest in usual activities, changing social affiliations</p>
<p>If you are waiting for your adolescent to say “I am depressed” or “I am really sad”, you may be looking for the wrong thing. </p>
<p>I think when there are comments like ‘no one knew they were depressed’- it might reflect this reality.</p>
<p>There are some very compelling statistics looking at social anxiety as a precursor to adolescent depression. I think that maybe the social aspects… as much as the academic aspects or other factors…explain why it is so tough for some in college/university years.</p>