In 2019, 8.3 percent of suicide attempts registered in Flemish hospitals were made by students. This is evident from figures that Flemish Member of Parliament Jean-Jacques De Gucht (Open VLD) requested from the Ministers of Welfare Wouter Beke (CD&V) and Education Ben Weyts (N-VA).
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Between 2010 and 2017, the proportion of students in the statistics of suicide attempts increased from 6.5 percent to 11.6 percent, according to data from the Unit for Suicide Research of Ghent University. In 2018, the share fell again to 9.1 percent, before falling further to 8.3 percent last year.
‘These figures show that students remain a vulnerable group and that even more attention must be paid to their mental well-being and suicide prevention,’ says De Gucht. ‘We now have to wait and see what the effect of the corona crisis will be on these figures. We should not underestimate the impact of distance learning and the social isolation that comes with it. ‘ According to the MP, we must “ensure that students receive the necessary guidance and support to get through this difficult period.”
The answer of the Ministers of Welfare and Education also shows that the Flemish Expertise Center for Suicide Prevention (VLESP) is currently working on a renewal and expansion of the instrument for recording suicide attempts, which will also include more detailed information about student status. The system will be rolled out in Flemish hospitals in the course of 2021.
information-text">Anyone with questions about suicide can surf to www.zelfmoord1813.be or call 1813.
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