CRISIS MANAGEMENT AND SUICIDE PREVENTION IN UNIVERSITIES: STRATEGIES FOR STUDENT WELL-BEING

Abstract

University settings face growing mental health demands, with rising rates of psychological distress, self-harm, and suicide among students. The transitional nature of university life, marked by academic pressure, identity formation, financial stress, and social change, creates a unique risk environment requiring specialised crisis-management frameworks. This chapter outlines core concepts, epidemiology, risk and protective factors, early identification strategies, acute crisis management, and comprehensive suicide-prevention models relevant to higher-education institutions. Emphasis is placed on integrated campus mental-health systems, gatekeeper training, digital and tele-mental health interventions, postvention strategies, and collaboration between university services and external healthcare systems. The chapter also highlights the critical role of psychiatrists in crisis evaluation, risk stratification, treatment planning, and policy development. A multidisciplinary, campus-wide approach, combining clinical, administrative, peer-led, and community-based strategies is essential for reducing suicide risk and ensuring timely, evidence-based crisis intervention in universities.