by KYW's Dr. Marciene Matttleman
Nationally the suicide rate for college students has remained constant; however, several murder-suicides last year have heightened awareness of troubled kids on campuses.
College counselors are reporting that twice as many arriving students are in treatment than a year ago, and more than 60% of colleges have psychiatrists on campuses at least part time.
Students, however, are not seeking help. Schools indicate that 4 of 5 students who commit suicide are not seeing counselors.
At Cornell, two clinicians are on staff to help students, deal with stress provoking issues: student/professor relationships, inability to get housing, tuition payments and adapting to a new culture.
National data does not distinguish minority groups. Cornell, in studying its own data, reports that 63% of those who attempted suicide between 2003-2005 were foreign born and over half were Asian or Asian Americans. Asian women were five times more likely to attempt suicide than white women.
Read more about The Expanding Safety Net at nytimes.com/edlife.
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