Universities urged to do more over student suicides

Leaving home and heading off to university is an exciting time. For many students, it’s their first real experience of an independent adult life.

But some struggle, and those struggles can go unnoticed or hidden inside an institution that has no formal responsibility for their mental welfare. Some have taken their own lives.

Universities UK has announced new guidance to try to prevent student suicides. But some bereaved parents say guidance isn’t enough – and that universities should have an official “duty of care” for their students.

The LEARN Network supports families affected by student suicide and campaigns for universities to take more responsibility for their students’ wellbeing.

From the beginning, viewers may find some of the images in this report distressing.