London Nightline joins short film panel

It was so wonderful to join the team behind the short film Contact Hours on the panel of their London screening last week! This event, held in Queen Mary University London, was a fantastic opportunity to have a wider conversation about the reality behind student mental health, and what we can do to reduce stigma around suicidal ideation.

A university caretaker's routine is disturbed when he unlocks the door of a student's room who hasn't been seen for days. This tragedy prompts him to try and mend the ailing relationship with his son.

This story of connection highlights how important it is for us to open conversations with one another about mental health, and that we never know what could be going through the mind of someone else, even those close to us. The filmmakers behind Contact Hours, Harry Richards and Rufus Love, wanted to raise awareness of the ripple effect of student suicide: affecting so many, but often not addressed until it’s too late.

The story behind Contact Hours resonated with the London Nightline team so much because of its stark representation of the tragedy of student suicide, where students often feel the need to keep the truth of their struggles behind closed doors. We know how isolating and overwhelming university can be, particularly for those dealing with mental health issues, and that’s why we strive to support any student experiencing suicidal thoughts or a difficult period in their time at university.

At London Nightline, we know that student suicide is preventable, and we work towards safer student spaces round the clock. Our Coordinator, Eve Carcas, joined the filmmakers on their panel hosted by Dr Ally Jaffee. Eve discussed the power of student volunteering as a protective factor and source of wellbeing support, the anonymity and confidentiality that sets Nightline apart to fight taboos, and gave some tools we can all use to have confident conversations around mental health and suicide.

We’d like to give a huge thank you to Harry and Rufus for involving us in their very poignant film, using their platform to raise awareness of London Nightline's work to reduce student suicides, and ensure all students have access to confidential mental health support out of hours. We’d also like to thank Dr Ally for hosting such an engaging panel, that prompted an open conversation about what suicidal thoughts might look like in those we care about, and how we can support them.