Blog: Edinburgh Napier University & SA on their Suicide Safer Plan
Students’ mental health is a priority for all those at Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA) and Edinburgh Napier University (ENU). I write this post in the same context that ENU’s Suicide Safer Plan was written; that is, suicide remains a leading cause of death in the UK’s 15–24-year-old population and the number of suicides in Scotland is slowly rising. Hence, why both ENSA and ENU are committed to ensuring positive mental health and early suicide intervention.
As a Student Adviser with ENSA and a member of the Student Mental Health Agreement and Suicide Safer Implementation working groups I feel I am well placed to write about this issue. I have had the opportunity to discuss university-wide strategy and policy on this issue, I have intervened in several instances where students have felt suicidal, and I regularly make referrals to mental health services.
In our recently published joint Student Mental Health Agreement, ENSA and ENU committed to meeting the aims of the Suicide Safer Plan. Read the Mental Health Strategy 2021-2024 here.
These aims include:
- People at risk of suicide feel able to ask for help and have access to skilled staff and well-coordinated support
- People affected by suicide are not alone
- Suicide is no longer stigmatised
- Minimise the risk of suicide by delivering better services and building stronger, more connected communities
It is recognised there are several stages in suicide prevention. We must support our students to feel safe and well, therefore we seek to create a culture of openness and inclusivity. Students should feel as though they can reach out to a range of staff members and know where to access out of hours support. We are working to promote various internal and external services to create an environment where students do not feel shame in seeking help. The earlier that students reach out regarding suicidal ideation, the better chance we have at supporting them back to positive mental health.
This demonstrates adherence to the following Mental Health Agreement objectives:
- Increasing awareness of the availability of support for mental health
- Fostering a sense of belonging through creating an inclusive community
In line with our partnership, the University has been very supportive in providing essential mental health training for ENSA staff. At present, several members of staff are Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) trained. This has allowed front-facing ENSA staff to conduct their work from a different perspective.
Equipped with the knowledge of basic mental health and how to interact with and intervene in situations where suicide is a very real possibility has enabled us to deliver frontline support. Breaking down the stigma surrounding suicide and suicidal ideation begins by being able to talk about it openly and not shying away from asking difficult questions.
This training has extended to the student body as well. In recent months, I have worked to create and launch a student peer support programme. The Student Listening Service is currently comprised of three MHFA trained students, who will also undertake the ASIST course. When creating the training programme, I liaised with ENU staff and external bodies such as Togetherall, an online platform which connects students on a global scale – providing a safe and monitored space for students to discuss issues they are facing.
Importantly, those affected by suicide should not feel alone. Hence, our push to create extensive and coordinated support in a range of different forms; encouraging students to seek assistance via one of these routes. Whether that be via ENU or ENSA staff, their peers or external organisations.
