Your news should not isolate and mock

Your news story dated Nov. 11, 2010 on a first-year student who was found naked and disrupting D.H. Hill Library on Nov. 10 was insensitive and perpetuates stigma surrounding mental illness. The report included the student’s full name, his year in school, his major, video footage of the incident, eyewitness reports, and police statements. This revealing and sensationalized article is horrifying and humiliating for the student, his family and friends, and for readers.

While you did report that he appeared to be in “an altered mental state,” the quote from Capt. Barnwell suggested that this was likely drug-induced, with no mention of a possible serious mental illness. It also stated that the student was not arrested, but rather was taken to Rex Hospital for evaluation. In my Internet search, I found no follow-up reports on his mental or physical health.

I am a student, earning a master’s degree in occupational therapy, and have spent time studying psychological diseases and working with individuals who live with mental illness. Serious mental illness often arises in early adulthood, and college can be a stressful environment with many triggers. At times, the individual with mental illness is not aware of and not in control of his or her actions. During this time, the individual needs a strong support system of family, friends, peers and community. A traumatic psychological episode can result in lifelong distress, including depression, substance abuse and even suicide, independent of the public stigma and shame that often accompanies it.

I am disappointed in the Technician for not recognizing the potential trauma that publishing such a revealing and casual report could imply for this student or other students who may experience similar mental health challenges. N.C. State is an esteemed school that should take more proactive steps to provide support and resources for the psychological well being of its students, staff and faculty. When incidents like this occur, the community should come together to embrace the individual and offer support, not isolate and mock him or her. While it is crucial to report such events, the Technician should be more responsible, respectful, and sensitive in its coverage to help make the community a safer and more accepting place for everyone.

Vaishnavi Tallury

University of Southern California