Back to school can mean back to stress: How to get mental health help at NC State

Editor’s note: This story contains reporting about suicides, a topic that will be disturbing to some readers. Mental health resources are available at the bottom of the story.

After a year marked by student deaths on and off campus, NC State University is preparing for students and their stress to return for the start of a new school year.

During the 2022-23 academic year, 14 NC State students died, seven of whom died by suicide.

“(The school year) was a lot. It was a time of grief for our campus,” said Monica Osburn, the executive director of the Counseling Center at NC State.

NC State’s Student Mental Health Task Force formed in November after a cluster of student suicides. In February, the task force released an 89-page report detailing a student mental health crisis and short- and long-term recommendations to address it.

According to the report, 48% of students who report having suicidal thoughts are not receiving any counseling or medication intervention for their mental health needs.

“The folks that come to the Counseling Center are looking for help, and the help works,” Osburn said. “Folks who died by suicide are often not connected to help.”

This school year, Osburn and her team plan to increase student awareness of the campus’s mental health resources in the hopes more students seek help.

What mental health resources are available on campus?

• Counseling Telehealth: Students are entitled to 12 free counseling sessions through the telehealth platform AcademicLiveCare.
• Psychiatric Services: Offers psychiatric evaluation and medication management. Available for both professional staff and students.
  
  
• Group Counseling: A small support group of between six and 10 students who meet weekly with members of the Counseling Center staff to talk through specific topics.
• Embedded Counseling: Mental health counseling stationed in each college with more flexible appointment times than the Counseling Center.
• Let’s Talk: Drop-In Counseling: An informal, walk-in counseling service that can help provide students with someone to talk to and additional resources, if needed.
• Addictive Behavior Counseling: A mix of clinical services like assessment, individual counseling, group counseling and referral services designed to assist students addictive behaviors and recovery.
• Sexual Assault & Interpersonal Violence Counseling: Counseling services specific for survivors of sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence and stalking. Students are not required to report the acts that brought them to counseling.
• Academic Counseling: Specific guidance for students feeling overwhelmed by course work or academic stress.
• Career Counseling: Provides career assessments and explores career paths for students.
• Workshops: Free workshops for students that focus on a variety of topics throughout the year such as managing stress, improving relationships and suicide prevention.
  
  
• Off-Campus Referrals: Students can receive help from an NC State case manager to help in the process of finding health care off-campus if the student needs it.

What’s new at NC State for mental health services?

• A revamped Counseling Center website: All mental health resources are now available through the Counseling Center’s website.
• Additional counselors on campus: Osburn said 15 new clinicians have been added through the Counseling Center within the past year. There are currently 50 clinicians employed by the Counseling Center.
• Embedded clinicians: The university plans to continue filling positions for embedded clinicians, or counselors placed as resources for students in specific colleges. Every college plans to have at least one embedded clinician. The College of Engineering and the College of Veterinary Medicine, two of NC State’s largest colleges, will have two clinicians each.

What are students most often seeking help for?

Osburn has worked in university mental health services for more than 20 years, and she said the most common reasons students seek mental health help have remained relatively the same throughout her career:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Relationship issues

What resources are available for LGBTQ+ students and students of color?

Through the Counseling Center’s website, students can find support groups, campus organizations and additional counseling resources unique to a student’s identity. Special resources are available for LGBTQ+ students, students of color, veterans, international students and students with disabilities.

Osburn said her team has worked to have a counseling staff that reflects the diversity of the student body. Certain clinicians also specialize in working with students of color and LGBTQ+ students, she said.

Will Wellness Days still occur?

Yes. In March, Chancellor Randy Woodson released a statement saying one Wellness Day has been added to each semester for the next three academic years.

During these days, students will not have class and are encouraged to rest, relax and recharge. Additional drop-in mental health support and recreational activities are often held on campus on these days.

Wellness Days for the 2023-24 academic year:

• Fall: Tuesday, Sept. 19
• Spring: Tuesday, Feb. 13

How are students notified of another student’s death?

Not all students are notified when a student death occurs, according to Mick Kulikowski, a spokesperson for the university. To prevent what is known as suicide contagion, only students directly impacted will receive notification, typically by email. These students often include teammates, classmates, or those who lived in the same residence hall or participated in clubs with the deceased student.

“My focus is on suicide contagion and getting those students impacted connected to help,” Osburn said.

Additional mental health and suicide prevention resources

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988.

• Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HOME to 741741. This free, confidential service is available 24/7.

This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 2:26 PM.