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UCL Support Team for Students affected by War, Conflict & Disaster

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University College London (UCL) is a "global university", with a high proportion of international students, dual national students, as well as students domiciled or with families abroad. During their studies, some students may be impacted by global events, such as war, conflict, civil unrest and disasters. These events can be highly distressing for students, even if they are not physically present themselves.
 

To support these students, a dedicated team was established in May 2022; a collaboration between Student Support and Wellbeing Services (SSWS), the Department of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), and the University Clinic. Members of the team aim to support affected students emotionally and with problem-solving by offering sessions of Psychological First Aid (PFA). Students generally receive 2–4 sessions of PFA, but their needs are closely monitored. 

What is Psychological First Aid (PFA)?

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an "evidence-informed" approach to supporting individuals, during and shortly after, potentially traumatic events, and is endorsed by governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and health organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). These events can range from a one-off incident to a prolonged crisis and can be of an individual, local or global scale.

Someone can be distressed by these events without being present themselves. In fact, simply being aware of human suffering can be traumatising, especially if loved ones are involved. PFA aims to alleviate an individual's distress through offering a supportive and compassionate space to make sense of normal psychological reactions, whilst promoting coping, self-care and practical assistance. 

How can PFA be accessed?

Students can Log an Enquiry via askUCL, to access PFA support.

Please note

The team does not offer psychological therapy for symptoms of mental health disorders (e.g. PTSD) although it can make onward referrals where appropriate. PFA is for people affected by recent or ongoing traumatic events, i.e. those with acute stress reactions and/or adjustment.

Contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services

To speak to an adviser about specialist study skills tutoring:

Follow Student Support and Wellbeing Services

Meet the team

Find out more about who we are and what we do. 

Crisis support

Student Support and Wellbeing Services does not offer emergency support.

If you're in immediate danger of hurting yourself or others:

  • Go directly to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital to get help
  • Call 999 to request an ambulance if you are unable to reach the hospital yourself

If you're feeling distressed and need urgent support:

  • Contact your GP surgery to request an emergency appointment
  • If your GP surgery isn't open, call the free NHS out-of-hours medical line on 111 for help accessing the right services
  • You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night
  • Nightline are a listening service for students, by students - they're available overnight via live web chat 6pm - 2am

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