Student killed himself day after ‘10 minutes with MMU counsellor’
A STUDENT who had self-harmed and felt the ‘world would be better if he were dead’ was given 10 minutes by a university counsellor before taking his life a day later, his inquest heard.
Rowan Sollitt, 19, an ‘intelligent and engaging’ computer science student at Manchester Metropolitan University, was found hanged on December 1 last year having suffered from depression for months.
At his inquest, coroner John Pollard said he would speak to MMU’s student support services to ensure lessons were learned from Rowan’s case.
The court was told Rowan’s GP had prescribed antidepressants before he attended a walk-in clinic at the university on November 30.
He filled out a risk assessment form to confirm he ‘sometimes’ made plans to end his life; believed the world would be better if he were dead ‘most of the time’; and that he often thought about hurting himself.
Rowan scored a risk factor of 14. The court heard any score over six would show ‘risk.’ He was given an ‘assessment’ session lasting 10 minutes by counsellor Kathleen Matthews, during which he showed her scars on his arms from recent self-harming.
Ms Matthews said she was restricted to 10-minute sessions and hadn’t been trained to tot up scores on the forms.
She said that once Rowan reassured her he didn’t intend to take his own life for fear of hurting his family, she didn’t feel he was in immediate danger.
Rowan left after being placed on a waiting list for counselling. He was found hanged at New Melock House the following day.
Yvonne Harris, head of counselling, health and wellbeing at the university, said an efficient system was in place at the time, but said Rowan’s case should have been flagged to either herself or a mental health advisor.
She said the ‘dearth’ of resources in Manchester’s mental health services meant GPs were regularly referring students to university support services.
Denying the service was at ‘breaking point,’ she insisted it was ‘extremely busy,’ but effective.
Ms Harris said the team now has a new database to flag up at-risk students – and that more staff have been hired.
Rowan’s father Michael told the hearing: “We can’t change what has happened to Rowan, but maybe we can change things for future young people.”
Describing Manchester’s mental health system as a ‘very disturbing merry-go-round,’ coroner Mr Pollard suggested Ms Matthews’ belief in Rowan’s reassurances were ‘naive.’
He said mental health services had been set up ‘with the best of intentions’ but that 10-minute sessions were ‘not enough.’ Mr Pollard recorded a verdict of suicide.
A university spokesman said: “We would like to express our deepest sympathies to Rowan’s family during this extremely difficult time.
“On the basis of the discussion which took place with the counsellor, it was her professional opinion that he did not pose a high risk. If a high risk is identified, escalation procedures begin immediately.”