North Carolina State University is grappling with a mental health crisis as the number of suicides this spring semester climbed to seven two weeks ago, reports ABC News.

Two students in late April committed suicide within 24 hours as the school was in the process of putting in many recommendations made by its mental health task force, formed following other student deaths this school year.

"This is my community, and these are my friends and I want to see my friends thrive," said Sophomore and mental health task force member Eleanor Lott. "Some of the longer-term goals look a lot like education, educating our students on how to take better care of themselves mentally, as well as educating our professionals and our professors on what mental health looks like today and our students."

A total of 14 students total have died this school year, including seven by suicide, four from natural causes and one in a car accident. Since 2018, NC State, based in Raleigh, N.C., has averaged eight student deaths annually, including three by suicide.

The school’s mental health task force in November released an 89-page report recommending a flurry of proposals to improve student life, including wellness days and outreach.

Vice Chancellor and Dean Doneka Scott in March told ABC News this last year was an "outlier" for the school.

"Institutions across the country are grappling with this," Scott said. "This is not an NC State-only issue. It's an issue in higher education writ large."

Suicides increased nationally in 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic, reaching its highest level since 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There were 48,183 people who died by suicide that year, an increase of 4.7% from 2020.

ABC News interviewed 10 students at NC State about the stresses of being a student on campus.

Some said the STEM classes were demanding, some pointed to the isolation on campus during COVID-19 restrictions.

Others "described broader concerns about the weight of being young in a seemingly broken world, including the intensity of politics, debt, fleeting job opportunities, and the general fear of facing fewer opportunities and success than prior generations," according to the news outlet.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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