After soccer star Katie Meyer’s death, Stanford vows to bolster mental health services

Every week after Stanford soccer captain Katie Meyer died by suicide, college officers have vowed to convey on extra psychological well being providers.

The March 1 demise of Meyer, 22, despatched shockwaves by way of the neighborhood, as did the tragic deaths of three different college students through the previous yr: Dylan Simmons, Jacob Meisel and Rose Wong.

Meisel and Wong died by suicide, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“During the last yr, the Stanford neighborhood has grieved the unimaginable lack of a number of members of our pupil household, and the previous few weeks have been particularly difficult and heartbreaking,” the college stated in an announcement posted to Fb on Tuesday.

In response, the college stated it has begun recruiting for extra medical counseling and remedy positions. And officers stated the scholar affairs workplace plans to faucet consultants to brainstorm measures past medical assist. During the last two years, Stanford elevated its medical workers by 20%, which officers stated lowered wait instances for these searching for providers.

The transfer comes as college students more and more search remedy and different wellness providers on campus — a pattern that noticed a pointy spike through the pandemic. And there’s proof suicide makes an attempt are rising amongst younger individuals. In the meantime, schools and universities are struggling to maintain up with demand due to a scarcity in psychological well being clinicians, California Healthline reviews.

“Psychological well being stays not solely an ongoing problem however our most pressing precedence,” wrote Dee Mostofi, a spokesperson for the college, in an e-mail.

Stanford officers stated latest losses “can really feel particularly overwhelming” amid the continuing pandemic and outbreak of struggle in Ukraine, and urged these struggling emotionally to succeed in out for assist.

“For all in our neighborhood who’re struggling, know that no matter emotions are arising in you might be regular and want time to be felt,” officers added. “There’s no a technique or proper strategy to grieve, and we’re right here to assist one another as we discover our personal paths to therapeutic.”

In its assertion, the college included a picture of the “Angel of Grief,” a statue situated on the Stanford campus, depicting an angel hunched over in tears.

College officers stated they have been searching for everlasting psychological well being staffers for its athletics division, and for the varsity’s counseling and psychological providers.

As captain and goalkeeper, Meyer helped lead the Stanford ladies’s soccer workforce to an NCAA championship in 2019. Her penalty kick saves have been among the many most memorable moments of the championship recreation towards North Carolina. She was a senior majoring in worldwide relations and a resident assistant on the time of her demise.

In a latest emotional interview on NBC’s “Immediately,” Katie’s father, Steve Meyer, stated she had been “defending a teammate on campus over an incident.” Meyer’s dad and mom stated they believed she might have acquired an e-mail concerning a disciplinary motion.

Her dad and mom additionally expressed concern that, between faculty and sports activities, there was an excessive amount of stress on their daughter.

A memorial service for Meyer will probably be held Saturday, college officers stated.

This previous January, Dylan Simmons, a third-year regulation pupil set to graduate within the spring, died at an on-campus residence.

In February of 2021, the college introduced the demise of medical pupil Rose Wong, additionally on campus.

Jacob Meisel, 23, died in August of 2021. He was pursuing levels in electrical engineering.

Mosofi, the Stanford spokesperson, stated the pandemic enhanced psychological misery, which the college has already sought to handle.

“We have now responded by increasing assets obtainable to all college students, and particular pupil communities, together with varsity athletes, college students throughout all gender and sexual identities, college students in numerous ethnic, racial and non secular communities, and college students of particular disciplines comparable to medication and regulation,” Mostofi stated in an e-mail.

Should you or somebody you already know is exhibiting warning indicators of suicide, search assist by calling the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).

Occasions workers writers Brittny Mejia and Hayley Smith contributed to this report.