UGA supports students through mental health programs following tragic loss

The University of Georgia has offered support to students through campus mental health resources following the deaths of students Wyatt Banks and Laken Riley. Their deaths were unrelated incidents that occurred within 24 hours of each other in late February and shook the UGA community.

Laken Riley was a former UGA and current Augusta University College of Nursing program student and member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She was killed on Feb. 22, while on a run at the UGA Intramural Fields in the early morning, according to an email statement made by UGA the same day. Jose Antonio Ibarra was charged with murdering Riley.

Riley’s death not only left a wave of sadness and grief across the UGA and greater Athens community, but sparked discourse about university safety measures and policies surrounding immigration.

“For a lot of people the grieving process is still ongoing … no one was ready to take on that load of grief.” Avery Hamilton, mental health chair at Alpha Chi Omega, said. “Our leadership in the chapter really stepped into a huge role to fill because they were dealing with a lot of grief themselves while also having to act as support systems and leaders for hundreds of girls.”

Freshman Wyatt Banks was an honors student majoring in political science and economics, and was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Banks died by suicide on Feb. 21, 2024. His death shocked many students, but sparked conversations surrounding mental health amongst those who knew him and in the UGA community as a whole.

According to the American Psychological Association, more than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem in the 2020-2021 school year.

“A lot of times people have mental health issues or they suffer from anxiety or depression early on, and it goes unnoticed for years,” Dr. Ireta Favors, psychiatric court certified mental health practitioner in Jefferson, Georgia, said.

Marissa Lynch, a freshman criminal justice and sociology major, said her mental health suffered at the beginning of this semester. She went to the University Health Center, seeking help.

“I struggled with a pretty bad depressive episode,” Lynch said. “I went to the [University] Health Center, I walked in, I didn’t even have an appointment, and I said ‘I need help, I’m not okay.’ And, I immediately got help. The fact that [Banks] didn’t feel like he could do that made me so sad.”

The immediate help Marissa refers to is a direct result of the mental health resources provided by UGA. There were 12,209 CAPS appointments between July 2022 and June 2023, according Steven Rose, Marketing and Communication Manager for the UGA Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS), in an email sent to The Red and Black.

UGA partners with the University System of Georgia to offer five free virtual counseling sessions to students. Within the last year, CAPS introduced an open-access model, which allows students to walk-in during operating hours and ask to speak to a clinician for an initial discussion without an appointment, according to Rose.

On Sunday, April 7th, UGA hosted an “Out of the Darkness Walk” at the Tate Student Center, which was produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Members of the UGA community gathered to remember those who died by suicide and to discuss the importance of mental health.

Despite the resources offered by UGA, some feel as though more could have been done after Banks’ passing to either make students more aware of the resources offered, or remind them of their existence.

“I would have loved to see something like [BeWellUGA] after his passing to remind students that we do have these resources … I definitely think that is something they could have done better,” Lynch said.

Whether you are grieving the loss of someone in your community or are struggling with mental health problems, seeking help is essential to maintaining your well being.

“Mental health is important because it affects every aspect of an individual’s life,” Favors said.

For more information on CAPS at UGA, visit https://caps.uga.edu/. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts please text or call 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/.

Article by Alexandria Anderson Sellers