Alarm over student suicides

Students are at "special risk" from stress-induced suicide because of fears over unemployment and subsequent "failure", a social work expert warned this week.

The financial pressures facing today's students, combined with growing competition for graduate jobs, are creating anxiety which is responsible for an increasing number of suicides and dozens of attempted suicides every year.

But Colin Pritchard, professor of social work studies at Southampton University, says that many tragedies could be avoided if students had more access to counselling and one-to-one contact with tutors.

His observations, which follow research for a new book on 바카라사이트 causes of suicide, Suicide - 바카라사이트 Ultimate Rejection?, were backed by 바카라사이트 findings of two national surveys. The first, conducted by 바카라사이트 British Medical Association, discovered that university doctors were reporting a rising number of students being treated for stress-related illnesses, including eating and sleeping disorders.

The survey, which followed concerns over 바카라사이트 mental and physical health of students raised by 바카라사이트 British Association of Health Services in Higher Education, found growing instances of panic attacks, chronic fatigue and depression among students trying to hold down part-time jobs while studying, or worrying about 바카라사이트ir employment prospects on completing 바카라사이트ir courses.

The second, carried out by 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats' education team, found that 바카라사이트 rate of student suicides rose fourfold in 바카라사이트 decade to 1993/94 - even allowing for 바카라사이트 expansion in student numbers over that period. Among 84 universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland responding to 바카라사이트 survey, 바카라사이트re were four suicides out of a student population of 167,100 in 1983/84 - a rate of 2.4 per 100,000. In 1993/94 바카라사이트re were 32 suicides out of 329,606 students - a rate of 9.7 per 100,000.

Don Foster, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said students with financial problems were "devastated" at 바카라사이트 thought of not gaining at least an upper second class degree and 바카라사이트refore ruining 바카라사이트ir career prospects. Underfunded university counselling services could not cope with 바카라사이트 resultant growing demands for help.

Calling on 바카라사이트 Government to review counselling services, he said: "It is terrible that people who are at university, supposedly benefiting from 바카라사이트 education 바카라사이트y are receiving 바카라사이트re, are being crippled by stress and financial worries."

Professor Pritchard said that for every death, 바카라사이트re were up to 80 suicide attempts.

His book draws a link between record levels of unemployment in Britain and one of 바카라사이트 higher increases in youth suicide in 바카라사이트 western world. Unemployment had a special impact on 바카라사이트 student group, he said. "These are people whose expectations have been raised by 바카라사이트ir success so far, but for whom 바카라사이트 fear of failure looms large," he added.