College Student Suicide

A family weeps over a closed casket at their daughters’ funeral. Many mourners stand in silence to recognize yet another young life lost due to suicide. Similar events occur too often, and affect the lives of not only family and friends, but also everyone who knew the victim. In 2012, according the Center of Disease and Control, there were 40,000 deaths by suicide. Often those affected by suicide are confused by what leads people to choose to end their lives. In most cases, depression seems to be the leading cause of suicide, though other mental illnesses can lead people to committing suicide. Losing a loved one or a job, academic stress, chronic illness, genetic history, and low self-esteem are also factors of suicide. While the leading cause of suicide is depression, other mental illnesses also play a role in leading people to suicide. According to the New York Times Daily, 90% of people who commit suicide suffer from depression (Parker-Pope). Depression is when one is in a constant mood of being sad for an extended period of time and many people who experience depression lose energy for daily activities, become less excited about big events, and generally do not feel happy with their lives (Depression Complications). When one …show more content…
In a study of college students, poor academic performances may serve as a precursor to suicidal thoughts (Wilburn, Smith). The study also found that students who achieve normal academic success might suffer more than others when receiving grades that are unlike their normal above average performances (Wilburn, Smith). Understandably, students who are used to succeeding academically feel a tremendous amount of pressure to keep up their good grades to please parents, teachers, and themselves. From a personal standpoint, academic stress is the prevailing cause of sadness and worry in a students’ life. Academic stress will eventually fade after graduation, but chronic illness lasts a