Psychological Well-being of Undergraduate and Graduate Students at Autonomous Universities

Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked the Minister for Education (a) what is the number of suicides and attempted suicides involving undergraduate and graduate students at the Autonomous Universities between 2003 and 2012; and (b) whether the Autonomous Universities are providing adequate resources towards promoting the psychological well-being of the students and awareness of psycho-social health among students, faculty and staff.

There have been 25 cases of unnatural deaths at the Autonomous Universities (AUs) over a 10-year period, between 2003 and 2012. As the AUs do not have access to the coroner’s reports, they do not know how many of these are suicide cases. Attempted suicide cases are also not usually reported to the AUs.

The AUs take the psychological well-being of their students, faculty and staff seriously. They promote the psychological well-being and awareness of psycho-social health of all members of the University community through key measures. First, they make available to students basic education and publicity, such as talks, workshops and campaigns, to raise awareness of psychological well-being. Second, they offer specialised clinical services, such as counselling services and help-lines. Third, they have developed crisis management

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frameworks, which are activated in time of need.

The Universities also provide additional in-residence support for students who are staying on campus. Such support takes the form of on-going pastoral care, residential programmes geared towards the promotion of the holistic development of students and peer support from student leaders.