Natasha Abrahart was studying physics at the University of Bristol and had dreams of pursuing a career in research after she graduated.
But the 20-year-old took her own life on 30 April, 2018, after a long struggle with social anxiety – on the day she was due to take an oral exam.
Now, the Department for Education is asking universities to step up their response to student mental health, in a review released on Wednesday which examined cases of suicide in higher education.
But bereaved families say this is not enough.
“How many more students will have to die before they fix this?” Natasha’s father, Robert Abrahart, told The i Paper.
He called the review “a bunch of superficial sticking plasters” and criticised the university for failing in its duty of care towards his daughter.
Natasha Abrahart was due to take an oral exam on the day she diedUnder recommendations announced on Wednesday, higher education providers will be asked to deliver robust mental health training for all staff, strengthen information-sharing practices, and put in place clear, enforceable safeguards to make campus life safer.
The review calls for safety checks to be conducted at university halls and any area where a student has died. It also says there should be better support students who are struggling academically.
Universities will have a “duty of candour”, meaning they must be transparent about serious incidents and communicate clearly with families of at-risk students.
Universities have also been asked to review access to their mental health services.
The Government’s Higher Education Mental Health Taskforce had looked at169 cases of suicide and serious self-harm reported by 73 universities in 2023-24.
Mental health charity Student Minds said the review was an “incredibly positive exercise, providing opportunity for learning on a national level”.
The charity urged that further reviews be carried out “regularly and routinely” to ensure the sector is responding to new challenges.
However, speaking to The i Paper, Natasha’s parents, Maggie and Robert Abrahart, called the review “superficial” as universities “have no statutory duty of care.”
They claimed the review “won’t tell us anything we don’t already know”.
Natasha had dreams of pursuing a career in research after she graduatedMrs Abrahart said: “Natasha was my practically perfect daughter when she was little, she loved Mary Poppins. She was bright, she was self-motivated. She only ever had one standard, and that was her best.
“She had one Achilles heel, which was her social anxiety disorder.”
Natasha, from Nottingham, took her own life on the day she was due to undertake a compulsory group presentation in her second year of university.
In 2022, a judge ruled that the University of Bristol had breached its duties under the Equality Act by failing to make “reasonable adjustments” for Natasha in light of her debilitating anxiety, which is considered a disability.
Mrs Abrahart added: “Natasha needed to get a doctor’s note in order to receive extenuating circumstances. But Natasha couldn’t get a doctor’s note. That was the whole problem. Only once had she gone to the doctors on her own.”
After Natasha’s death, the Abraharts started a campaign to introduce a statutory duty of care within higher education, called ForThe100.
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Based an ONS report from 2017, they estimate that 100 students a year die by suicide in higher education, including suicides they believe the ONS missed.
The Abraharts say the need for a clear statutory duty of care is paramount. They added that until this happens, higher education providers will continue to say “that is not my job”, despite recommendations from the DfE.
“They just say students need to be more resilient. But if someone has been in such a situation that killing themselves is the preferable route out. It is pretty bad,” the couple said.
“All Natasha needed was someone to take the weight off her shoulders.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said every student suicide was a “tragedy” that left families, friends, and entire communities devastated.
She called for change so that families were not “denied the transparency they deserve”, adding: “We are committed to working with universities, experts, and students to turn the findings of this review into real, lasting improvements.
“That means better support for at-risk students, a commitment to openness with families, and a sector-wide focus on preventing these heartbreaking losses. We expect decisive, visible action to ensure that no family is ever left in the dark again.”
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “We care deeply about all our students and staff, which is why the mental health and well-being of our community is at the heart of decision-making across the university.
“This includes the provision of appropriate, accessible services and interventions. We continue to develop and improve our services to support those who need help.”
For practical, confidential suicide prevention help and advice call Papyrus on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039967 or email: [email protected] contact Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
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