UNITED KINGDOM

New guidance issued for universities on student suicides

Universities should put together a ‘postvention’ team of people to deal with student deaths, according to new guidance on responding to suicides, writes Aine Fox for Evening Standard.

The team should consist of a family liaison person – ideally someone who knew the student – as well as people to care specifically for affected staff and students, Universities UK said.

The guidance, published on Tuesday 13 December, is in partnership with the Papyrus suicide prevention charity and is funded by the Office for Students. Universities UK said it is the first of its kind to set out the “challenges that need careful and compassionate management following any student death but especially a suspected death by suicide”.
Full report on the Evening Standard site