A student took his own life after his mental health declined during lockdown and he became worried about his family’s financial future and failing some of his university exams, a coroner has concluded. Harry Armstrong Evans, 21, a third year physics and astrophysics student at the University of Exeter, died in June 2021 from asphyxiation at his home in Launceston, Cornwall.
Assistant Cornwall coroner Guy Davies said the university had a “safeguarding obligation” to its students and was “best placed for first response to a mental health crisis”. But recording his findings, the coroner said that obligation was different when compared with that of a patient and their doctor.
“This court has heard evidence of the terrible consequences of academic pressures on students and the need for universities to provide a safety net for their students,” Mr Davies said. “That should include welfare services and the capacity to proactively respond to concerns.
