'We are in a crisis': Parents, advocates calling for more mental health resources after 4th NC State suicide

The student, a male sophomore, was found dead in a Wolf Hall room, he said.

“Obviously that is very sad. That is our classmate," said David Tofade.

"The university has lost five students this semester," the spokesman told WRAL News, "One was an off-campus auto accident and there have been four apparent suicides."

Lori Evans is the mother of an NC State student. “She is devastated and the school as a whole is devastated,” said Evans.

She thinks the isolation of the pandemic is a big part of the problem and she’s worries this might only be the beginning,

“If the resources do not become available for mental health issues we will see this become an epidemic like we have never seen,” said Evans.

McKenzy Heavlin, president of N.C. State student government said, "Our leaders need to have good conversations about how we move forward and how we address it.”

Psychotherapist Kamala Uzzell is familiar with counseling center at N.C. State. She says they are doing what they can to address the problem. She says they will need more support, if they are going to support all the students on this massive campus.

"If there is any failing, it's that we need to have more focus, more attention and more money put toward mental health resources," she said.

Evans, a high school teacher, has helped her own students. She said she used special suicide prevention training she received.

Fonda Bryant is the instructor who provided that training to Evans and others at her high school. There is a reason she is so passionate about that work.

“27 years ago I was struggling with depression,” said Bryant.

She said she nearly attempted suicide until her aunt stepped in.

“She said 'are you going to kill yourself?' And I said yes," said Bryant. "She jumped into action like a superhero.”

She believes many more people should be trained to help those around them struggling with their mental health.

“We need to recognize that we are in a crisis in this country with mental health and suicide,” said Bryant. “Treat people with empathy, compassion and kindness because you never know what people are going through. A smile can hide a lot of pain.”

Get Help: County-by-county guide to mental health and crisis resources in NC

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students received two "well being" days this semester following a series of suicides there last fall.

“Students are certainly under a lot of stress," N.C. State sophomore Tony Kelly said. “To say, 'Hey, I need help, I am not doing well, is very difficult."

In addition to the expected pressures of exams and assignments, students face the upheaval and isolation they experienced during the pandemic and the harms of social media.

From across the country to North Carolina – colleges and universities are grappling with a mental health crisis.

In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people North Carolina ages 10-18 and the third leading cause of death for those ages 19-34, according to the NC State Center for Health Statistics.

NC child suicides continue to rise, state data shows

Hearing about the death of fellow classmates at N.C. State hits hard for student Delaney Engel.

"It’s really sad. It’s something that shouldn’t be happening," she says.

As a first-year student, Engel admits the adjustment to campus life isn’t easy.

"Coming in and adjusting to everything. A lot of people don't know the resources available to them," she says.