The largest-ever national review of student suicides in higher education was published at the end of May, with more than 160 cases of suspected suicide or self-harm examined over the 2023/24 academic year by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health.
It was found that undergraduates made up the majority of cases, with international students and first years particularly vulnerable.
As such, the conclusion was drawn that key transitional periods for young people increased their risks, with students potentially finding it difficult to adapt to life at university, being away from home for the first time or moving to a new country and experiencing a different culture.
Off the back of this report, the organisation is advising universities to put additional measures in place to further protect students, including:
– Reviewing and improving accommodation safety for those who are vulnerable
– Maintaining open, transparent and proactive lines of communication with families after a suspected suicide
– Improve information sharing between teams, both academic and non-academic
– Improve suicide prevention and mental health awareness training for staff
Universities are now being called on to focus their support on these vulnerable groups, improving how they identify people potentially in need of help.
Several gaps were identified in university practices, such as the fact that many of those who died by suicide were already known to universities, having previously struggled with social isolation, mental health and academic pressure. Furthermore, in three-quarters of cases, bereaved families were not included in serious incident reviews.
Universities have been demonstrating their commitment to improving support for student mental health, however, with 113 having joined the University Mental Health Charter programme. In addition, increased investment has been made in support services across the sector.
Are you considering suicide prevention training or suicide bereavement training? Suicide Bereavement UK delivers evidence-based theory driven workshops informed by research and delivered by experts in their field.
If you are a university that has lost a student to suicide, you might want to consider attending or commissioning PABBS, one-day, evidence-based, evaluated and CPD-accredited suicide bereavement training, which has been informed by research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and developed at the University of Manchester.
For further information, contact:
Paul Higham
Suicide Bereavement UK
Tel: 01706 827359
Mobile: 07850 710555