Can student counselling services do more to prevent student suicides?

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Counselling services and university health services are clearly already responding effectively in the sense that students are less at risk than non-students (op.cit supra). Counselling Services successfully treat or refer to NHS provision a large number of students, some of whom have problems so serious that they feel suicidal

However every student suicide is a tragedy and we continually seek to improve our services in this area. These are some of the areas that we are seeking to address:

Many students contemplating suicide are reticent to ask for help "My son presented everyone with a Mr Party Man image; he did not show how he was feeling inside." (Anne Parry - Treasurer Papyrus and mother of student who committed suicide – quoted in Strapt Issue 2, Financial Times, Oct. 2000). Services are experimenting with a range of ways of reducing any stigma attached to seeing a counsellor.
Human Rights and other current legislation is increasing the individual's right to privacy over health issues. While counsellors support peoples’ right to privacy, counselling services are exploring various ways – with the client’s agreement – of putting vulnerable students in touch with the professional care they need.
Many universities are pioneering more ‘joined up’ and creative thinking around student support. Unfortunately, some universities have under-funded services. "Support provision in colleges and universities is patchy. Some are brilliant; others are limited." (ibid.). HUCS and the Association for University and College Counselling campaign to encourage excellence in counselling and other student mental health provision.