Crisis support: need help now

If you need urgent mental health support:

• Contact your GP surgery to request an emergency appointment (some GP surgeries are currently offering phone appointments only)
• If your GP surgery is not open, call the free NHS medical line on 111 for help accessing the right services, but again be aware they are at capacity at present so only call in crisis
• You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone at any time, day or night, 24/7
• You can text Shout on 85258
• You can download Stay Alive app, an app for those at risk of suicide and those worried about someone
• You can contact the Listening Place for face to face support and online and telephone support

If you’re having thoughts about wanting to die, it’s important you tell someone.

Help and support is available from a range of free services and helplines who can help you right now. There is no right or wrong way to talk about suicidal feelings – starting the conversation is what is important. Here is some information about services that are open every day 24h/7days and who can help you during this time:

Please note that the Counselling and Mental Health Service does not provide crisis support or out of hours support.

Emergency support

If you feel like you cannot keep yourself safe and you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or attempting to take your life:

• Go to the closest Accident and Emergency (A&E Department).
• Call 999 to request an ambulance if you cannot go to the hospital yourself

Advice

• Avoid using drugs and alcohol
• Stay around family and friends or go to a safe place and call one of them
• Make a safety plan that you can save on your phone and read during difficult moments (here is an example of a safety plan)
• Speak with your GP. Most surgeries will have emergency appointments especially in the morning 

Support managing suicidal thoughts - advice for students & staff

If you’re on campus, these are the Security numbers to report an emergency to the university’s Security team:

• Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience – 020 7848 0001
• Denmark Hill West – 020 7848 5555
• Guy's, Strand and Waterloo Campuses – 020 7848 2222
• NHS Trust buildings – 020 7188 3333

If you are in your hall of residence

A duty member of staff is on call out-of-hours.  Each hall displays a notice providing contact details.

Do not contact wardens if you are feeling suicidal or need urgent help, their role is to support student’s welfare but they are not able to provide emergency support. Call a helpline or NHS 111 instead or see information about Emergency Support.

Useful links:

• Maytree  (North London)
• The Listening Place, offer support (sometimes within certain hours) and helpful resources.
• For men: Calm, Campaign against living miserably (5pm-midnight); call 0800 58 58 58 (nationwide) or 0808 802 58 58 (London) or webchat (5pm-midnight)
• Samaritans local branches
• www.giveusashout.org
• HOPELINE UK Papyrus 

International helplines:

•  IASP International Association for Suicide Prevention has a list of crisis helplines for most countries including China.
• US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 
• Australia: 13 11 14 (Lifeline)
• The “Stay alive” app includes more information about international resources including more helplines and ‘stay safe’ plans. 
  
• Other international suicide helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org

College process for responding to mental health emergencies