Suicide concerns among students has been raised with a government minister by a Glasgow MSP.

Sandra White, SNP MSP for Kelvin, which includes the three universities in the city and also City of Glasgow further education college, said there were worries about the mental health of young people in the age groups that accounts for most students.

Ms White asked Clare Haughey the Minister for Mental Health what increased support was being made available t for suicide prevention work during the coronavirus pandemic.

And she asked:” In light of indications of worsening mental health in that age group, will people in my constituency and across Scotland continue to be able to access applied suicide intervention skills training to help prevent suicides?”

Ms Haughey said there has been an extra £3.6 million allocated to provide more than 80 additional counsellors in colleges and universities in Scotland over the next four years.

She said: “Now, more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that our students are able to receive the mental health and wellbeing support that they need. We are actively considering what additional targeted support is needed for students, to support their mental health and wellbeing.”

However, she added: “The applied suicide intervention skills training—ASIST—is currently not being delivered, because it cannot be carried out face to face due to Covid-19 restrictions.”

But she said to support the needs of the health and social care workforce during this period, pandemic-specific learning resources were developed by NHS Education for Scotland that give support on responding to people in distress and crisis and on mental health and suicide prevention.