I read an article on the BBC News website ‘Universities told to contact students' loved ones to stop suicides ‘(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-63075852) “…Universities UK (UUK) say universities need to be proactive when it comes to preventing student suicides”. The article rang close to home in more ways than one; as a Course Tutor, I was alerted by a current student who has declared that they have a history of attempted suicide and self-harm. While I am encouraged that many HEIs have safeguarding policies and training in place, other measures and support must be put in place as a matter of urgency.
The article continues, “…Official estimates suggest 64 students killed themselves in England and Wales in the 2019-20 academic year. But the student rates are only estimates, leading some parents to call for legislation for universities to report the annual number of student suicides…”. A concerned colleague who knows a young person in such a crisis mentioned that a local CAMHS will only be involved after 3 suicide attempts… surely that is 3 times too many? How many more young lives do we need to lose before we collectively take action?
In the BBC article, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy said
"…What is really needed is more investment in support services," it said. The Department for Education said it expected all universities to "engage actively with suicide prevention” and had asked for £15m to be allocated for student mental health.
I have written another blog on ‘Why use the SEJ in Education? Preventing Student Suicide’ which discusses how the SEJ Process works for the students because it’s simple, effective, and immediate. They do not need to wait to see a counsellor or support services. The SEJ is a simple 4-step structured framework of self-enquiry to support the individual to address stressful thoughts and painful emotions, in so doing empowering them to maintain positive mental health and reach their full potential. Crucially, the SEJ Process is not just for those with mental health concerns. It is an essential life skill for everyone to live in a mentally healthy manner and achieve peak performance in every area of their lives.
With an educational setting on a collaborative basis, the SEJ organisation has been proactive in supporting HEI settings to integrate the SEJ Process training easily and effortlessly, providing detailed lesson plans and associated exercises to fit into the existing course structure as part of the academic/professional/life skills modules. Together, we have already prepared the SEJ Process in a format that has been carefully mapped against the University Mental Health Charter and ‘StepChange’ legislations. So really, all you have to do to put in place a powerful and simple process that can support students in every situation is to get in touch with the SEJ organisation. Together, we can truly prevent and delete the devastating issue of student suicide from every university campus and any educational settings. Please get in touch via enquiries@thesej.co.uk or https://www.staymentallyhealthy.org.uk/contact. The time to act is NOW; let’s help young people to live in joy and empowerment.
Dr M Howard-Kishi
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