WORCESTER, Mass. — Several parents and grandparents have been reaching out to us saying they are concerned about their kids at Worcester Polytechnic Institute after hearing about a seventh student death in six months, three of which are confirmed suicides.
“I’m scared for my grandson,” said grandparent Dorothy MacKinnon. “He’s in a community for the first time away from home, and he is himself frightened. One of the suicides happened in his dormitory.”
25 Investigates has learned authorities suspect suicide in the latest death this past weekend and that the student had struggled with depression.
The school president has sent out notes about each of the deaths, but in this latest email sent to parents Monday, she starts it off by saying “I am writing to ask for your help.” The letter goes on to invite parents for the first time to a training session designed to give practical tools and advice for engaging with students about the issues we are all facing.”
But some question if that’s a solution.
“I don’t know if they want to hear that their son or daughter might have mental health issues,” said MacKinnon. “Some parents don’t want to hear that. It’s a stigma and always has been. I could go to that. My grandson could be fine. And what am I going to tell them tomorrow when he’s at school? And I’m home. I mean, what can I do?”
That’s a great question we took to a psychologist who says although they may be scared of the topic, parents can be the missing link because they’ll see more warning signs.
“They’re the folks that more than anybody can see what’s different if anything that’s worrisome about their young person because they’ve known them all their lives,” said psychologist Nick Covino. “Also, these are people with worries themselves. So mental health is a mysterious thing for most parents of young people and to help them get educated, to help them to know what the signs and symptoms are to help them to know where help is available is a major advantage.”
“One of the best ways to reach WPI’s 5,000 plus students is to involve their parents and get them talking to their child about mental health and suicide,” said Alison Rivers of Riverside Community Care, the organization doing the training. “It is a myth that talking about suicide causes it. In fact, talking about suicide gives people who are struggling the opportunity to seek help, but it can be an uncomfortable conversation for some. Tomorrow we plan to give parents some practical tools for starting the conversation and talking about mental health and suicide with their child. With these tools, the parents will be able to foster a safe environment for their child to speak up and seek help if they need it, or know how to get help and support for a friend who might need it.”
“I would like to see some visibility from the president,” said MacKinnon. “Some acknowledgment from her other than a letter. Some indication as to what happened to these kids. What are they doing about it? What have they found? It’s got to be some solution. I’m not a detective. I’m just a grandmother.”
Psychologists say it’s natural for people to look for links with a cluster of cases like this, but say there may not be anything tying these deaths together.
The training for parents is Wednesday, and the school says there will be ongoing help for faculty and students as well.
Click here to see the advisory issued by the U.S. Surgeon General on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic.
Click here to see help available.
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