This week's news of the death of Wharton senior Electra Bynoe brought about feelings of shock, sadness and loss among members of the University community.
But Bynoe's death, although the second death on campus in less than six months to be ruled a suicide, is not an indicator of an increasing trend in student suicide rates at Penn or nationwide, according to experts.
Counseling and Psychological Services Director Ilene Rosenstein noted that while two cases of suicide within one academic year is certainly unusual and distressing, it does not necessarily show an emerging pattern.
"We haven't seen an increase [in student suicides], per se," Rosenstein said. "But of course, it's always shocking to the community when someone kills themself."
Rosenstein also said that, despite the tragic national and global events of this year, there have been no national trends describing a rise in suicides among college students.
"At this time, no one is reporting that," she said.
Psychology Professor Robert DeRubeis agreed that the recent suicides are worrisome but do not signal a surge.
"Two doesn't make a trend," DeRubeis said. "But what we should be concerned about is factors that lead students to commit suicide, and whether there's a trend in that."
Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for college students in the United States, but the rate of suicide on college campuses is nevertheless below the national average.
"And our campus is even lower than many," Rosenstein said. "But any suicide is unacceptable."
So while two suicides in one academic year may seem like a lot, the cases must be considered individually, according to Rosenstein.
"The reasons why people kill themselves are more psychological, more interpersonal," Rosenstein said, citing feelings of isolation, the desire to gain control over one's life and the need to be heard as frequent explanations for suicide.
She added that in the 20-24 year-old age group, common reasons are "to avoid a painful realization about one's self and to join a loved one who has passed away."
The startling aggregate of five student deaths -- two ruled suicides -- in a single academic year has also troubled the campus psyche.
"As a community, there's a sensitivity and sadness," Rosenstein said. "Life is wonderful, and life can be awful. It makes us aware of that."
And many feel that the resulting sense of loss was intensified by the aftermath of Sept. 11 events.
"We've noticed a post-9/11 effect," University President and Psychology Professor Judith Rodin said, explaining that mental health has especially become a matter of importance this academic year on campuses around the country. "It's certainly not specific to Penn. Presidents from other colleges have been expressing concern."
This year, Penn will distribute a college and university survey released by the American Council on Education relating to the mental health of college students, according to Rodin, and the topic will also be discussed at upcoming meetings among University presidents nationwide.
"As a psychologist and the president, I'm very concerned about students that feel undue levels of stress," Rodin said. "I urge them to seek help when in trouble."
"Penn has an extraordinary number of resources for students," she added. "I just hope people will use them."
So what else can the Penn community do to help prevent yet another tragedy from occurring?
"We should take warning signs seriously," DeRubeis said. "If a student is talking about suicide, we must take that talk seriously."
And according to Rosenstein, fostering relationships between students, staff and faculty is a step in the right direction.
"Fight the sense of isolation by creating a community that is connected and caring," Rosenstein said. "And if you know someone is in trouble, don't do it alone. Make sure they get to help."
Even if a student is simply feeling stressed over school work, Rosenstein urged that they seek out help from CAPS or other available resources on or near campus.
"We need to take care of ourselves," Rosenstein said, adding that eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, feeling safe and finding supportive social networks can help keep students mentally healthy.
Fortunately, over the past five years, more and more students have been seeking help from CAPS and other University services.
"Use of mental health services is becoming de-stigmatized," Rosenstein said. "We see about 10 percent of the population at any period of time."
And especially in the aftermath of this year's tragedies, Penn's campus has become increasingly aware of mental health issues.
"Faculty and staff have become very sensitized, and student referrals have gone up," Rosenstein said. "The general public has become sensitized."
