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.

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 more
Information alert banner.

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 page

Crisis 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.

How you can help 

It can be very distressing to learn that someone you are close to may be feeling suicidal. It is important to remember that this is common and one in four young people experience thoughts of suicide. These thoughts can be triggered by a number of different experiences, such as moving to a new place, new friends, and worries about study and/or employment.

It is important to be there for them and to encourage them to access professional support as soon as possible. 

Help them stay connected and involved with study and activities. Feeling connected with others can reduce the risk of suicide.

Even if you are unsure of the seriousness of the situation, if a fellow student mentions that they’re feeling suicidal, please encourage them to speak to a trusted family member and seek professional support.

Support available

Find out about about the support available both within and outside of UCL.

Look after yourself

It is important to remember that if you are concerned about a student, you do not have to deal with this alone. Get others involved where you can and seek expert help if appropriate. You may find it helpful to seek professional advice to discuss how the issues have affected you - if you are a UCL student, Student Support and Wellbeing Services will be able to help you.

We all can help save lives - suicide prevention training

The University Student Suicide Awareness Training online training course from Zero Suicide Alliance explains how to have a conversation about a suicide. Everyone can benefit from this awareness course, which takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Complete the training now