Cambridge University has launched a campaign calling on struggling students to access support as the death of a sixth student this year is reviewed.
The university now has one confirmed student suicide and five others suspected in 2022.
Natalie Acton, head of student support, said the new Reach Out campaign aims to “encourage students to come forward if they need any type of support”.
She has “invested significantly more funds in student support,” she said.
Reach Out was planned before the death of a medical student in September.
His death is being reviewed along with that of five other students who died between March and June.
Ms Acton said the recent death was “a real tragedy for the family and friends and colleagues of this student here at the university and the college where they studied”.
“We take this issue very seriously and are keen to ensure that we learn all possible lessons from a student death,” she said.
The Reach Out campaign followed a review of the university’s mental health services that began last year amid rising demand for services.
The BBC previously reported on a draft report last October that branded the university’s mental health services as “ineffective”, “untargeted” and “unsustainable”.
Ms Acton said there had been “an unprecedented number of students with mental health problems entering the university,” with about 500 new students this year reporting they have a mental illness.
“This is a campaign to encourage students to get in touch, but the important thing is that there is now a very comprehensive set of services behind it,” she said.
She said the university has increased the number of advisors.
Any student who referred themselves for counseling would be seen within 10 working days, she said, with a network of health counselors being introduced into colleges.
“Any student who is struggling, whether it’s academically, financially or emotionally, we really want them to come forward because we have a lot of support here at Cambridge, both in the colleges and at the university,” she said.
- If you are affected by any of these issues, you can visit the BBC line of action or contact them Samaritan.
Kit Treadwell, a volunteer for student-run mental health charity Student Minds, who was consulted on the Reach Out campaign, said: “Will that be enough to be able to say, ‘No, we’re done, we fixed it mental health?” Obviously not. This is not a solution that can be achieved in one year and one program.
“But what really encouraged me as a student is when I consulted on this topic. It’s the first time I’ve really felt that the university is listening to the concerns of the students and the issues we raise.
“It’s not enough to have support, you have to be clear about how to access it.
“It’s not enough to just say it’s okay to talk about her mental health.
“I would certainly hope that nobody would claim that this would solve everything immediately, but I think it’s a really good first step.”
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