Suicide awareness training is a great idea to improve mental health at the University

By Lucy Rowe, Second Year English

Our friends are those most likely to notice a deterioration in our mental health - it is time they received training.

Earlier this month, Epigram reported that Bristol’s Director of Student Services is ‘very open’ to the possibility of providing online suicide awareness training for all students. Although there are no definite plans for this to be implemented yet, I believe that training all students in suicide awareness would be extremely useful.

Bristol’s current Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, published in December 2018, contains aims such as increasing the engagement of senior leadership in tackling mental health, and clearly signposting the support available for students. Free activity classes will be offered during exam seasons, and the counselling system will be improved to enable students to access it quickly.

The issue with all these policies is that they require the student suffering to ‘make the first move’ in getting help, be this contacting their personal tutor or booking an appointment with the counselling service.

The issue with all these policies is that they require the student suffering to ‘make the first move’ in getting help

However, warning signs of suicide include hopelessness, becoming withdrawn, and a loss of interest in most things.

If someone feels hopeless then they may not feel inclined to contact to a counsellor or their personal tutor. If someone loses interest in most things, then it is unlikely that they will attend university - let alone activity sessions.

Of course, mental illnesses and suicidal feelings manifest in a multitude of ways, and all of the proposals made within the Mental Health strategy will surely be beneficial.

However, if a student does not feel motivated to access mental health services, they may remain untreated and their issues may worsen as a result.

The implication of this has been well-documented: two thirds of sudden deaths involve students not previously known to mental health services.

Currently, students appointed as senior residents receive the online suicide awareness training, which is certainly positive. Older students may provide an unintimidating and accessible source of support for struggling first years.

However, this training is still only useful if a student suffering with their mental health feels able and willing to reach out.

Speaking personally, I saw my senior resident roughly once a term when I was in halls, for meetings focussed on practical matters. Students’ experiences will naturally vary, but if someone has little contact with their senior resident, they may not feel comfortable contacting them about suicidal feelings.

If symptoms of depression stopped me from attending my contact hours, my friends would notice long before my tutors.

Based on this, we need to look at how the people closest to a student who may be at risk of suicide can help.

Flatmates, friends and classmates are the people most likely to notice deteriorating mental health, because they are the people who know us best at university.

If symptoms of depression stopped me from attending my contact hours, my friends would notice long before my tutors. Our peers know which behaviours are normal for us, meaning that they are best placed to notice abnormalities symptomatic of severe mental illness.

Suicide awareness training would not only be beneficial within the university setting, but an extremely valuable life skill.

Understanding the signs of someone being suicidal will enable students to reach out to a peer who is at risk and guide them to mental health services, gently prompting them to book an appointment or talk to a member of staff. If we are equipped with knowledge of both warning signs and available support, we can aid eachother in getting professional help.

Suicide awareness training would not only be beneficial within the university setting, but an extremely valuable life skill. Suicide rates are even higher amongst non-students: knowing the warning signs of suicide could well save someone’s life.