“Up to 6.8% of students had reported having had a suicidal plan,” says Dr. Hanlé Kirkcaldy, Student Counselling Unit at UP

World Suicide Prevention day has been commemorated on 10 September each year, since 2003. Suicide is considered a world-wide public health threat. Currently the theme relating to suicide prevention proposed by the World Health Organisation is “Creating Hope through Action”. This sends a strong message that we should all be hopeful that there is an alternative to suicide, and that we are called to action within our own sphere. We can reach out, support and prevent the actions of those who contemplate ending their lives prematurely.

It is very hard to discuss suicide in a purely academic manner. It is a complex conversation to have when parents, brothers and sisters, friends and family members of those who ended their lives, are so deeply affected. The devastating loss, grief, confusion and guilt experienced by those who are left behind is well documented. It is also impossible to generalise about those who die by suicide, as each individual surely had a complex path, a difficult history and overwhelming circumstances that led to that point. An academic discussion however does not have to minimise or deny a lived experience. However, it is only by stepping back and finding perspective that we create hope and plan the path forward. We should surely have these difficult conversations and create solutions.

A short paragraph on the disconcerting statistics may be in order, before we consider possible solutions. Owusu-Ansah et. al. (2020) reported on the prevalence rates of suicidal behaviours in students. These authors found that 15.2% of students reported suicidal ideas, 6.3% had a previous suicide attempt and 24.3% had experienced a previous death wish. Up to 6.8% of students had reported having had a suicidal plan. These are tragic and worrying figures. It is important to note that their research suggests that psychological distress was a risk factor for both suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts, but more importantly that subjective wellbeing was protective of suicide attempts, while self-esteem was protective of suicidal ideation. Suicide attempts in university students often occur the same day they experience a life crisis. This immediately opens the door to a possible solution: how do we improve the subjective wellbeing of our students, and address issues of self-esteem? In the same vein, Fernández and Huerta (2013), in a study relating to the prevention of suicide in college students, highlighted the importance of overcoming the stigma of seeking help, and again, to promoting a sense of wellbeing in a holistic manner. This study pointed out that attention should not only be given to the individual, but also to elements of their sociocultural environment, and that solutions should be found involving the academic and professional support communities.  

How can we therefore enhance the subjective wellbeing of our students? How can we teach and support in a way that fosters self-esteem? How do we finally overcome the stigma of help-seeking? How do we optimise the systems and environments in which our students find themselves; where they study and live?

If we succeed in this, we may certainly be on the path to reduction, if not complete prevention of suicide. The answer may be to enhance aspects of resiliency in our students. We know that students can on occasion be overwhelmed by life, but we also know they can be truly resilient. The ability to bounce back after yet another setback, to regain perspective, to make use of resources in the environment, as well as using one’s own considerable strengths, are vital. Professor of Psychology, Martin Seligman, teaches us that when it comes to your personal resilience, you should remember that the current setback is not only attributable to you personally – other factors may have influenced your circumstances; factors that may change for the better or that can be addressed. Setbacks are also not pervasive – not everything is affected by one setback – there will remain sparkling diamonds in the dust. Finally, one’s setbacks are not permanent. It may feel that way today, but generally the impact of a setback will fade, and a new course of action will present itself.

The staff of the Student Counselling Unit (SCU) at the University of Pretoria has measures in place for when an emergency does occur, psycho-educational material is presented on the web page, on social media platforms and in webinars and workshops, and together with the Department of Security Services and TuksRes, they respond to students who seek help. Emergency contact numbers are available to students on where and how to seek help - see the back of your staff and student cards.  As important as these efforts are, they are reactive at best. As a university we have to always strive to do even better, to lead the way with innovation, creativity and dare I say, create hope and inspire action.

It is therefore so important that as a UP community we find ways to enhance the wellbeing and resilience of our students, and ways to help students to manage the stress and distress that will inevitably come their way. There are new developments in the field of psychology that promotes the development of personal strengths and wellbeing to reduce suicidal risks. Initiatives that are not focused on what went wrong, but rather on what we can do to enhance what goes right. If we put our heads together, we can surely come up with creative ways of helping our students. We can literally teach them the skills to not only stay alive, but to actually thrive. The Student Counselling Unit would like to invite the UP community to a partnership that prioritises the care of our students and that will lead to academic and holistic wellbeing.