This thread is just hitting me at a kind of vulnerable time, as it appears that we have had a suicide on the Stanford campus. What is so troubling (we don't know for sure yet what happened, and maybe we will never will) is that if it was suicide, it was surprising because there were no outward signs of depression apparently, and the young woman was an unbelievable superstar, but in a pressure-cooker environment with lots of expectations on her and apparently not a lot of support.
What's the connection? Last year, a freshman pitcher in Nevada committed suicide.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but please just be sure, when the kids call home, that you let them know how much you love them, that you understand that this is really hard, and let them know that you are there for them no matter what. I think the care packages especially with things they need, nutritious snacks are good, also notes and emails, and, if you get really concerned, letting a resident advisor or someone else close to them know of your concerns, is not over-doing it.
Athletes for the most part, I think, aren't going to go off to the counseling office on campus and in any case apparently some of those are not really that good.
Just hug your kids and let them know you love them for who they are.