Death of bright, brilliant Oxford student who hid his pain

(L-R) Bristol students Lara Nosiru, 23, Kim Long, and Elsa Scaburri, 21, all took their lives

James Thomson, 20, and Miranda Williams, 19, both believed to have committed suicide

First year student Daniel Green, 18, ‘took his life’ and was found hanging in his room at Goldney Hall on October 21 2016, and inquest heard. 

Kim Long, an 18-year-old law student died of asphyxiation at his halls of residents on November 10 last year, and an inquest concluded he committed suicide.

Philosophy student Miranda Williams, 19, died from paracetamol poisoning on October 10 2016, and died three days later in hospital. Her inquest reached a conclusion of suicide.

Lara Nosiru, 23, a final-year neuroscience student was found dead in the Avon Gorge on January 30, this year. The coroner concluded she took her own life while under the influence of drugs.

Third year Elsa Scaburri, 21, was found hanged in a barn at a farm near her home near Salisbury on March 3 2017, after committing suicide, an inquest heard

First year student Sam Symons, 19, was studying law at the city’s University of the West of England (UWE) and was found in his room at a halls of residence. He died during the night of Sunday, April 30, or in the early hours of Monday, May 1, and an inquest concluded suicide. 

Second year student James Thomson, 20, was found dead at his home in Bristol in October. Police officers have told Bristol University they believe he took his own life, and the case has now been referred to the coroner, according to the university. 

In October Bristol University announced it has invested £1 million in 28 full-time ‘well-being’ advisers who will be embedded across faculties and departments.

Its head of student services, Mark Ames, said the issue is being taken very seriously with further work being undertaken at a national level across all universities to improve mental health services with more specialist staff and better communication.  

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that suicides among university students have risen by 50 per cent over the past ten years, to 144 in 2016.

Universities are reporting a 50 per cent rise in demand for their mental health services, while the number of students who abandon degrees due to mental illness has more than doubled to almost 1,200 in just five years, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.