The University has increased the clinical staff of Counseling and Psychological Services by almost 25 percent, affirming what administrators are calling a strong commitment to mental health.
Four full-time psychologists and one part-time psychologist have been hired as permanent staff members, CAPS Director Ilene Rosenstein said.
This will bring the total number of counselors to 21, making Penn's mental-health resources some of the most robust among the nation's universities, according to Vice Provost for University Life Valerie Swain-Cade McCoullum.
Mental-health services at Stanford and Northwestern universities, two schools which have comparable student populations to Penn, each employ clinical staffs of 16.
The increase in staff coincides with a rapidly growing number of students who are seeking mental-health services.
Rosenstein added that existing patients have exhibited more severe symptoms in the past few years, and there is more demand for appointments from new patients.
The number of students seen in counseling increased from 1,716 students in 2000 to 2,468 in the 2005-2006 academic year, Rosenstein said.
One reason for this may be a recent decline in the stigma surrounding treatment for mental illnesses - particularly the use of medications. This translates to some students being more comfortable seeking help, experts say.
This influx of visitors means that "sometimes, it's a standing room-only crowd" at CAPS, Rosenstein said.
In addition, CAPS is looking to expand its office space, Rosenstein said. It is currently located at 36th and Walnut streets, but administrators are looking into establishing a secondary office to house the growing staff.
McCoullum said that her office is pouring more money into CAPS, although Rosenstein declined to name the sum required to hire the new staff members.
Mental-health issues at Penn came into the spotlight almost a year ago, when then-Wharton senior Kyle Ambrogi committed suicide in his suburban Philadelphia home.
Ambrogi had struggled with depression, and in the wake of his death, University officials pledged to promote greater awareness of mental-health issues.
Allan Schwartz, a psychologist at the University of Rochester, said many universities are also concerned with mental-health issues for legal reasons.
They want to avoid being sued by students and family members who claim that more help could have prevented suicide or other mental-health issues, Schwartz said.
Penn students themselves are also working to make sure their peers know where to get help.
Their answer is the newly formed Mental Health Coalition, which held its first meeting this month.
Battling the stigma and letting students know it's okay to talk about what he called "ooey gooey sensitive mushy stuff" will be number one on the new group's agenda, according to College senior Joshua Matz, one of the coalition's founders.
The group plans to raise awareness of mental-health issues on college campuses with informational campaigns and events.
Coalition members hopes to have their newly written constitution ratified in time for what's sure to be a stressful time for many students: the annual "Econ Scream" that takes place the night before the Intro to Microeconomics midterm.
We are working to represent "a previously silent, but increasingly necessary, voice on campus," said College senior Mana Nakagawa, another founding member of the coalition.
