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If you need urgent help or someone else does, you should reach out immediately to get the support required.
On this page:
- If you're experiencing a crisis
- If you're feeling distressed and need urgent support
- External services
If you're experiencing a crisis
If you're experiencing a mental health or wellbeing crisis and are in immediate risk of harming yourself or someone else (for example, if you've made a plan and are worried that you may act on it soon), call 999 and ask for assistance. An ambulance will be able to bring you directly to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital to get urgent help.
UCLH has the nearest A&E department to UCL’s main campus - this A&E department has a dedicated mental health unit.
Find your nearest A&E department.
If you're feeling distressed and need urgent support
If you're not immediately worried about keeping yourself safe, but are feeling distressed and would like urgent support, you should contact your local NHS urgent mental health helpline.
Find your local NHS urgent mental health helpline.
You may also contact your GP (doctor) surgery to request an emergency appointment or call the free NHS out-of-hours medical line on 111 and they will help you access the right services.
Visit the Ridgmount Practice website (UCL's partner GP surgery).
External services
There are a number of external services that may be able to help if you are feeling distressed and/or are concerned about managing suicidal thoughts.
Samaritans
- Phone: 116 123
- Website: samaritans.org
- Email: jo@samaritans.org
The Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like about whatever’s getting to you. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or they can just be there to listen. You can call the Samaritans 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You don’t have to be suicidal to call.
You can also visit the Samaritans in branch to talk to a volunteer face to face if you find it easier.
Nightline
- Phone: +44 (0)207 631 0101
- Text: +44 (0)7717 989 900
- Website: nightline.org.uk
- Email: listening@nightline.org.uk
Nightline is an out-of-hours listening service run by students, for students. Their advisers are students themselves who have had extensive training to help them support their peers.
You can speak to someone from Nightline over the phone at any time from 6pm to 8am every night of term. They also offer support online, through text and through email.
HOPELINEUK
- Phone: +44 (0)800 068 41 41
- Text: +44 (0)7786 209697
- Website: papyrus-uk.org/help-advice/about-hopelineuk
- Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
The free HOPELINEUK service is similar to the Samaritans but specifically for people under 35 who are feeling suicidal.
They will also give advice if you are worried about someone else with suicidal thoughts.
Open 9am to 10pm on weekdays, 2pm to 10pm on weekends and bank holidays.
Maytree
- Website: www.maytree.org.uk
Maytree is a charity that provides support by offering a one-off residential stay when in a suicidal crisis. Volunteers at Maytree are available to talk to throughout a stay - this is not a centre for therapeutic support, but a place of sanctuary in a crisis.
For more information on the support that Maytree can provide, visit their website, where you can also see how to contact them if you need support. Alternatively, contact the Student Support and Wellbeing team through askUCL.
CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably
- Website: www.thecalmzone.net
- Phone: +44 (0)800 58 58 58 (nationwide) or +44 (0)808 802 58 58 (London)
- Webchat: www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.
Their helpline is for men in the UK who are down or have hit a wall for any reason, who need to talk or find information and support. They're open 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year.