Help in crisis
Student Support and Wellbeing Services does not offer emergency support. If you’re in immediate danger of hurting yourself or others:
Visit our urgent and out of hours mental health support pageCrisis Support
Student Support and Wellbeing Services do not offer emergency support. If someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves (for example, if they’ve made a plan and are worried that they may act on it soon), then this is a crisis and the person should:
- Go directly to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of your local hospital.
- Call 999 to request an ambulance if they are unable to go to hospital themselves.
If they are feeling distressed and need urgent support:
- Contact their GP surgery to request an emergency appointment. If the GP surgery isn’t open, call 111 for free out-of-hours NHS medical support.
- 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 for online chat and calls from 6pm-8am.
Student of Concern Form
If you are worried about the wellbeing of a student who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you should contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services by completing a Student of Concern Form. We will reach out to the student and offer support. Please note that this form is monitored during office hours only.
Student of Concern Form
Find out when and how to raise a concern about a student's wellbeing or safety with Student Support and Wellbeing Services.
Find out moreSupport from UCL
UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services can direct you to appropriate support both within and outside of UCL. The support we provide is free and available to any student enrolled at UCL. Our advisers have specific training in how to have conversations around suicide.
- For telephone support, you can call the Student Support and Wellbeing Services Phone Line on +44 (0)20 3108 8836 during office hours to discuss the options available to you or the UCL 24/7 Support Line on +44 (0) 808 238 0077 (00 353 1 518 0277 from outside the UK), to talk to someone about how you are feeling.
- If you would like to access some confidential support from the Disability and Neurodiversity or Mental Health and Wellbeing Team, you can book an appointment via askUCL - same day appointments are available. You can watch this step-by-step guide to booking an appointment with an adviser.
- UCL’s Counselling Services offer up to six sessions of free therapy, you should register for this via their website.
- If you’re living in a UCL hall of residence, you have an additional network of support in the form of the Wardens and Student Residence Advisers, who live on site. They are the first point of contact for any welfare or pastoral issues you may be experiencing and can help connect you to UCL’s student support services. They can call emergency services if you need them.
External support
Your GP is the first point of contact for any issues affecting your physical and mental health, including suicidal thoughts. Your GP will also be able to diagnose a state of depression or anything in your lifestyle that may be contributing to how you may be feeling. This is not always the case, but suicidal thoughts can be linked to depression and the use of alcohol and drugs.
Find out how to register with a GP
Your GP can also refer you to further specialist support and talking therapies and can prescribe medication. Mind have some useful tips to support you in having that first conversation with your doctor.
If your GP surgery isn't open or if you're not registered at a GP surgery, call the free NHS out-of-hours medical line on 111 and they will help you access the right services in your area.
You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night.
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 via a live chat and and through email.
Phone: +44 (0)207 631 0101 Email: listening@nightline.org.uk
This service offers short-term support to residents of Camden presenting with a mental health crisis.
- Phone: 07825 165464
- Visit their website
Body & Soul is a charity who use a whole-person approach in supporting people. Having begun by supporting people affected by childhood adversity, the charity has grown to support people in a range of ways. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, Body & Soul can support you with the following services:
- Integrative psychotherapy
- Systemic family therapy
- Life-coaching
- DBT (Dialectal Behavioural Therapy)
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide.
Their helpline, livechat and Whatsapp is for people 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.
Call them on 0800 585858
The free HOPELINE247 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.
Lines are open 24 hours every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included).
- Call them on 0800 0684141
- Text 88247
- Email pat@papyrus-uk.org
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.
A free app that is full of tools and resources to help people stay safe from suicide.
A free information and resources app to help yourself or to prevent the suicide of someone you know. Includes a ‘Get Support Now’ section for crisis situations.
Visit the Jason Foundation website and download the 'A Friend Asks' app.
Provide free, regular, face-to-face support so that people can talk openly about their suicidal feelings. They we aim to make contact within 24 hours and to offer a first appointment within 7 days.
Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
Text the word 'Shout' to 85258 to start a conversation. Trained Shout Volunteers are there to listen at any time of day or night and messages won't appear on your phone bill.
Information and advice on suicidal thoughts
What to do if you're having suicidal thoughts
If you're having suicidal thoughts, there's a wide range of support available. This page will help you look after yourself and find an appropriate person to talk to.
What to do if a student has shared suicidal thoughts (information for friends and family)
This page contains information on what you can do to support a UCL student experiencing suicidal thoughts if you are a family member or a friend from inside or outside UCL.
Contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services
UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services phone lines
Learn more about the Student Support and Wellbeing Services Phone Line and the UCL 24/7 Student Support Line.
Visit us
We are here to assist you with questions or concerns you may have about your Wellbeing, Student Record, Fees, Funding or any matters regarding your studies and life at UCL.
Seeing an adviser
Our team provide a safe and non-judgemental space in which you can discuss wellbeing, mental health or disability concerns that may be affecting your ability to study.
