St. Louis University Campus (screengrab)
Since the fall semester began there have been six student deaths and one resident physician who have died at St. Louis University and Washington University in St. Louis.
At least four of the deaths were suicides. The rest have not been announced. One student was a swimmer, sailor and Eagle Scout from Kansas.
The universities are puzzled by the number of deaths this year.
The Riverfront Times reported:
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Loss and grief have become commonplace on the campuses of two of St. Louis’ largest universities following numerous recent deaths, raising questions about the schools’ mental-health service programs.
Since classes began in the fall at Saint Louis University and Washington University, six students and a resident physician have died, four in the past two weeks. Of the seven deaths, four were suicides, while the cause of death in the other three cases have not been announced. (Both schools do not release cause of death information without consent from students’ families.)
An email to the SLU community from administrators on Friday mourned the suicide of undergraduate student Sean North.
North died on April 5, according to the email, shortly after emergency services transported him off campus. According to his obituary, North came to SLU from Leawood, Kansas, on a swimming scholarship, and was an avid sailor and an Eagle Scout.
“Right now, our focus is on wrapping his loved ones with support,” reads SLU’s email. “Know that we share this information so we can help each other heal. We cannot destigmatize death by suicide, ideation or mental-health needs more broadly if we cannot name them.”
Days before North’s death, a SLU graduate student died from undisclosed causes, the school’s president, Fred Pestello, announced in an April 6 email. And yesterday, Pestello and Vice President of Medical Affairs Christine Jacobs informed the SLU community of the passing of a resident physician, who died late Sunday evening. No further details were provided.
Read the rest here.