UEA Suicide Safer University Strategy (USSUS)

Suicidality and mental distress remain a significant concern across society and within our community and as such it is essential that we are well placed to proactively notice those who may be vulnerable and create conditions in which those in distress feel able to disclose and are supported.

At UEA we are committed to creating a suicide-safer community. Suicide is the leading cause of death for young people in the UK. The death of a student by suicide is devastating for the family and friends and can profoundly affect the wider community. At UEA we aim to minimise suicide and attempted suicide in so far as is possible, recognising that the University can play a key role in helping to do this. This plan cannot cover all eventualities, and it is recognised that sadly not all suicide is preventable.

The focus of our strategy is on three key elements which represent the component parts of an effective suicide prevention and response system: Prevention, Intervention and Postvention. The strategy follows a clear emphasis on the benefits of a whole University approach, and close liaison with the NHS, Public Health, local government and other key external agencies.

The strategy has an action plan linked to it , this is an ongoing piece of work within the university which allows us to oversee what we have in place and what we need to further commit to doing to support a suicide safety community.

In having this strategy and action plan the university can actively work toward reducing the risk of suicide by identifying areas of good practice and areas for future development, proactively building on current offer to forward our aim to see fewer incidents of death by suicide and attempted suicide within our community.

To read our strategy in full please click here.