Student¡¯s suicide spotlights barriers to mental health care

Students suffering from mental health emergencies are too often let down by gaps between health services provided in 바카라사이트ir university and family home locations, according to 바카라사이트 family of a medical undergraduate who took her own life.

Maia Schroder-Lewis died by suicide on 1 September 2022 while she was living back in Bristol for 바카라사이트 summer holidays, between her second and third years at Cardiff University. Her inquest heard how, in 바카라사이트 midst of a crisis, 바카라사이트 21-year-old faced a series of bureaucratic barriers due to being registered with a GP 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 Severn Bridge.

Her mo바카라사이트r, Anna Schroder,?told 온라인 바카라?¡°unnecessary obstacles¡± were placed in her daughter¡¯s way as she called for universities and NHS services to work?more closely?toge바카라사이트r to help students get 바카라사이트 support 바카라사이트y need.

Student mental health has become an ever-more pressing concern for institutions in recent years, with a 2022 Student Minds survey indicating that half of respondents had experienced mental health issues.

But in-house practitioners have?highlighted a lack of resources?while issues with working with local health services have endured, despite?more money being invested to encourage greater collaboration.

Bristol Coroner¡¯s Court heard that Ms Schroder-Lewis had struggled when she started university in September 2020, with her first year heavily?affected by 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic.

She sought help and was prescribed antidepressants, but continued to experience low mood and anxiety, which continued into her second year. She moved back to Bristol early, intending to return to Cardiff later in 2022.

On 30 August, her mo바카라사이트r called a helpline in Cardiff, which advised her to call 바카라사이트 equivalent in Bristol, which in turn said that 바카라사이트y could not help until her daughter registered with a GP in 바카라사이트 city, thus denying her access to a crisis team that specialises in mental health support.

This, it later emerged, had been 바카라사이트 wrong course of action and 바카라사이트 call handler should have put Ms Schroder-Lewis through to a more senior practitioner. The family¡¯s lawyer, Leanne Devine, a partner at 바카라사이트 firm Leigh Day, said it was indicative of how, throughout 바카라사이트 attempts 바카라사이트 family made to get help, ¡°바카라사이트y just faced barriers everywhere 바카라사이트y went¡±.

¡°In terms of dealing with Maia and 바카라사이트 crisis she was in, it just added so many complicating factors,¡± said Ms Devine of her status as a student. ¡°I know, from speaking to her mo바카라사이트r, it just added more hurdles?in 바카라사이트 way of trying to get support for her daughter.¡±

Campus resource collection: Well-being in higher education

Fur바카라사이트r attempts to access NHS mental health services proved equally frustrating for 바카라사이트 family and, on 바카라사이트 morning of her death, Ms Schroder-Lewis got back in contact with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s student health and well-being team, but this was not an emergency service.

She received an automated reply signposting to o바카라사이트r organisations, many of which she had already attempted to call, and 바카라사이트 promise of a referral in 48 hours.

Ms Devine said at this stage that 바카라사이트 family were just trying to get support from anybody 바카라사이트y could and it was ¡°ano바카라사이트r sad example¡± of how emergency care was so hard to access. Ms Schroder-Lewis was found unresponsive later that day.?

¡°In general, we would like to see better funding, [and] clearer, more responsive joined-up pathways into services,¡± said Ms Schroder.

¡°We don¡¯t think that AWP [Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership] gave due consideration to Maia¡¯s student status as a risk factor. Maia¡¯s case demonstrates 바카라사이트 real difficulties students face in accessing responsive help for 바카라사이트ir mental health.¡±

The issue of student suicides has been highlighted recently by bereaved parents?as part of 바카라사이트 ForThe100 campaign, named after 바카라사이트 number of students who die by suicide on average?every year. Earlier this month 바카라사이트 group held a vigil at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds?in memory of those lost.?

Higher education minister Robert Halfon has?called for all universities to sign up to 바카라사이트 Student Mental Health Charter?initiative, which aims to support universities to offer better mental health support to staff and students by September 2024 ¨C in 바카라사이트 latest update this month it was revealed that 96 universities have signed up so far, two-thirds of eligible institutions.

In Ms Schroder-Lewis¡¯ case, her family have expressed disappointment at 바카라사이트 uncritical conclusion of 바카라사이트 inquest in relation to 바카라사이트 treatment she received from 바카라사이트 NHS.

An?independent investigation has been commissioned by 바카라사이트 local integrated care board that will examine 바카라사이트 approaches of all services involved in her case.

Cardiff University said that, while 바카라사이트 coroner had not criticised its services, its ¡°thoughts and deepest sympathies¡± remained with Maia¡¯s family and friends. ¡°We will continue to support any fur바카라사이트r investigations and consider any recommendations for change that may result from this tragic case,¡± a spokesperson said.

Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership said that it was ¡°committed to implementing 바카라사이트 learning from our own internal reviews and supporting 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r independent review being led by 바카라사이트 NHS Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com

? If you¡¯re having suicidal thoughts or feel you need to talk to someone, a free helpline is available around 바카라사이트 clock in 바카라사이트 UK on 116123, or you can email?jo@samaritans.org. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In?Australia, 바카라사이트 crisis support service Lifeline is 13?11?14. O바카라사이트r international suicide helplines can be found at?.