The pressures of higher education

Re “Suicides a symptom of larger UC crisis,” May 23

The crisis is not with the University of California system’s lack of resources to deal with troubled students. The crisis was created by our society and students’ parents. We don’t just start with kindergarten, we must have preschool, then Advanced Placement classes, then Advanced Placement testing, the California Achievement Test, SAT courses and SAT testing. Add a few summer sessions, some math “enhancement” classes after regular classes and throw in a couple of after-school activities. Whatever happened to just getting a 4.0 grade point average?

By adding more college-level classes to students’ workloads, we just load them up until they can only survive by taking Prozac and Wellbutrin -- until they tragically collapse in college.

JEAN-CLAUDE

DEMIRDJIAN

Los Angeles

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As a psychiatrist working closely with many young adults about their attendance at the University of California, I share your concerns over their mental well-being. Huge campuses such as the UCs have a daunting task, and others must share their burden.

Some tips: Becoming 18 years old, the magic age legally, prevents parents from intervening on their young adults’ behalf because of confidentiality laws. If parents are concerned before sending a child off to college, they should encourage their adolescent to allow them to stay involved by having their child sign a legal medical and psychological information release. This allows the parents to share the responsibility and lend support. Additionally, if kids are going off to college on psychotropic medications, staying in touch with their prescribing physician is important for continuity of care and for facilitating a smoother transition to college. Long-distance follow-up is necessary and effective.

RICHARD J. ATKINS

La Canada Flintridge

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While my heart cries out for the tragedy of even one suicide, my brain cries out that journalists have again overlooked simple mathematics in their quest for a riveting story. Contrary to the claim that nine suicides at UC Davis in three years represents evidence that “the university’s overtaxed mental health services fell ‘significantly short,’ ” three Google searches and a quick calculation confirmed that the suicide rate for students at UC Davis over the last three years is approximately 1.0 per 10,000, and the national suicide rate for youths age 15 to 24 is approximately 1.01 per 10,000.

For decades, top universities have placed their students under extraordinary stress. That the suicide rate at UC Davis is no higher than the national age-group average provides a strong testament to the success of its campus support network rather than an indictment of inadequacy.

ERIC GAREN

Los Angeles