Of the many things college students have to juggle, dealing with the deaths of nine students should not be one of them.
Patrick Sullivan, 21, was found dead Wednesday inside a home on Olive Road. Sullivan had three roommates.
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Sullivan's death is under investigation and the Wake County Sheriff's Office is not releasing a cause of death until it receives the Medical Examiner's report.
Five of the nine N.C. State students died by suicide.
Dr. Kamala Uzzell, a psychotherapist and founder and president of SOLAY Counseling and Consulting, said it doesn't matter if everyone knew the students or not, because each death will affect people in different ways.
"You can still feel an overwhelming sense of grief because we still feel for other people," Uzzell said. "Death certainly has a major impact. The finality of it all is something really hard to process through."
On Tuesday, the university's Student Mental Health Task Force released an 89-page report, citing a 2019 study that showed students' mental health was suffering long before the pandemic.
The report said more than 4,000 students reported they had suicidal thoughts.
Students told WRAL News that now, more than ever, they're focused on making sure their friends and fellow students feel supported.
"In a way, it's brought us closer together," said Olivia Townsend, a student at N.C. State. "As in, we're trying to look out for each other more."
N.C. State added eight counselor positions, expanded its network of off-campus providers and signed a new contract to provide free telehealth support. Students told WRAL News they're hopeful this focus on mental health will help stop this trend.
If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.