Author: Alice Newton-Leeming

Safeguarding & Suicide Prevention in Schools – What’s Changing in KCSIE 2026

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

Issue 19 | February 2026

Safeguarding & Suicide Prevention in Schools – What’s Changing in KCSIE 2026

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on proposed revisions to the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), due to be updated for September 2026.

KCSIE is the cornerstone of safeguarding in schools and colleges, setting out legal duties and good practice for protecting children and young people. These revisions aim to keep the guidance up to date with emerging risks and strengthen expectations around safeguarding systems and staff capability.

🔍 Key Updates with Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Relevance

While the public consultation document doesn’t single out suicide prevention as a distinct requirement, its emphasis on wellbeing, early help and comprehensive safeguarding training creates a strong foundation for embedding suicide prevention awareness into wider staff development:

Child-centred safeguarding is central – staff must recognise early signs of risk, changes in behaviour, mental health concerns and act promptly.

Staff training and refreshers are highlighted as a core duty – creating an opportunity to include targeted suicide prevention training alongside other safeguarding training.

Strengthened mental health-related content in safeguarding guidance provides a pathway to equip staff with confidence and skills to support students and signpost help early.

gov.uk – keeping children safe in education

📣 Why This Matters

Suicide remains a leading cause of death among young people. Embedding high-quality suicide prevention and mental health training within statutory safeguarding frameworks helps ensure:
School staff are confident recognising and responding sensitively to mental health distress.
Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and pastoral teams integrate suicide prevention into early help and safeguarding practices.
Schools and colleges build safer, supportive environments that reduce stigma and connect young people to help.

📅 Next Steps

The consultation runs until 22 April 2026 — safeguarding professionals, leaders, and training providers are encouraged to respond and reinforce the importance of robust suicide prevention training as part of broader safeguarding duties.

Together we can ensure our schools not only comply with statutory guidance but truly support the wellbeing of every young person.

Mental Health Learning

At Mental Heath Learning we recognise the importance of equipping those who work with children in our education system with the right skills and the confidence to be able to support children and young people.

ASIST is developed by the World Leaders of suicide prevention training – LivingWorks Education. It is the best suicide intervention skills training you can attend.

ASIST is a suicide intervention training course that not only teaches the theory and practice of being suicide alert and how to conduct a full suicide intervention with follow-up. But provides multiple opportunities for participants to put learning into practice. This is an active learning experience which sets ASIST aside from other shorter theory based courses.

If you, your workplace or your community could benefit from this additional training in light of the consultation, please contact us to find out how we can help.

With warm wishes,

Alice and the Mental Health Learning Team 🧠

💫 Happy New Year! 💫

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

As we transition into a new year, it’s likely our minds and social media feeds are filled with pressure to make a change, to become a new and better version of ourselves. Maybe the narrative that we enjoyed ourselves too much and need to detox are creeping in… or maybe our insecurities were pointed out or highlighted when spending time with family or friends.

While we agree that starting the year with intention can be powerful, it can also be incredibly harmful if these intentions aren’t coming from the right place.

If we are beginning our year with intentions that come from shame or with unrealistic expectations, this can be damaging for our mental health and wellbeing, making it much harder to actually make positive and sustainable change.

We can also experience:

Social Comparison – Comparing our experiences to others via social media can be harmful. We often perceive others lives as ‘perfect’ or engage in a sense of competition, making us feel we are behind.

Reflection on the past – While the turning of the year gives us an opportunity to reflect, it can lead to dwelling on the past and contribute to feelings of failure.

Financial Stress – Maybe we overspent at Christmas, maybe we feel the pressure of this new start on our finances. It is important to set realistic goals and focus on learning lessons from previous financial setbacks.

Loneliness and Social Pressure – You may be feeling overwhelmed or lonely after the festive season which can exacerbate feelings of isolation.

With so much pressure, both internally and externally, it can be difficult to recognise when these resolutions are unrealistic or harmful… Here are just a few of the thought processes that can be damaging:

🏋️‍♀️ I need to transform myself.

Setting an intention to fully transform ourselves (i.e. by losing weight) can be overwhelming and often comes from a feeling of shame or self-disgust.

Instead, try setting smaller, accessible intentions such as eating more healthily or committing to exercising more often.

🏆 Success = Perfection

The expectation that we aren’t whole until we are perfect is unachievable. Perfection isn’t human, and expecting ourselves to achieve it can add unnecessary stress and pressure.

Instead, maybe your intention can be around learning to accept your imperfections and grow from these challenges, focusing on progress rather than perfection.

😁 Resolutions will lead to happiness.

Happiness isn’t something we can achieve overnight, and it doesn’t come from deciding to be happy. Happiness is a process and it is natural to experience ups and downs.

Instead, try setting realistic goals that contribute to your overall wellbeing, and trust that this will eventually bring some happiness into your life.

While there is a feeling of ‘fresh start’ energy in the air, remember there is no pressure to know what you want, or to force change that you’re not ready for or that isn’t healthy. Some of the most common resolutions in the UK are around diet, physical health and exercise, and while these are crucial to our wellbeing they shouldn’t be at detriment to our mental health.

If you do want to use this energy to make intentions, we would recommend:

📓 Reflecting on the past year with positivity

Take note of your achievements, and personal growth. Acknowledge lessons learned and use them to create positive goals.

🥅 Set realistic goals

Focus on small, achievable intentions and break them down into manageable steps.

🧘‍♀️ Practice mindfulness and gratitude

Introduce a mindfulness practice into your day, this could be meditation, deep breathing or a mindful walk. These activities can help reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

🫂 Connect with others

Prioritise social connections that make you feel good. Maybe this means joining new social groups or finding new communities who share your goals and interests.

We hope you can use this time to create positive and nourishing intentions if it calls to you, and if not, we hope you can relinquish the need to plan ahead!

Remember we’re just at the beginning, so there is still plenty of time.

With warm wishes,

Alice and the Mental Health Learning Team 🧠

Suicide Prevention Will Be Included in the National Curriculum

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming
The Government has changed the way children will be taught about relaitonshps, sex and health. For the first time, Suicide prevention will now be included in the national curriculum

📵 Children are increasingly exposed to content that can be harmful, including misogyny and unhealthy relationship dynamics, particularly online. Last week, the Government released new guidance on education around these topics with a focus on helping children and young people ‘identify positive role models and challenge harmful behaviours they might encounter online and in real life’. (Education Hub)

These changes will be mandatory for all schools to implement from 1 September 2025, and so the education our children receive around relationships, relationships and sex, and health will look different.

So what’s changed?

🚨 Sexual harassment, stalking, revenge porn, sexism, deepfakes – all of these are now explicitly taught.

♂️ Misogyny and Incel culture – Students will learn to identify these & promote positive male role models.

👮 Strangulation is taught as a criminal offence – even without visible injury.

🔞 Age-appropriate flexibility – primary schools may teach PSHE topics to children in years 5/6+ if relevant to pupil’s experiences

🪪 Gender identity – guidance advises schools to remain neutral and to avoid simplifying gender or endorsing one ideological perspective

🧠 All schools should offer mental health support to some degree:

Primary – Focus on emotions, bullying and loneliness
Secondary – includes suicide prevention
Additional topics to include menstrual health, antimicrobial resistance, gambling, bereavement and parenting

⚠️ These new guidelines mark a positive shift in increasing awareness around modern harms and safeguarding for our children, and the addition of Suicide Prevention education for children of secondary school age and above marks a turning point.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for children and young people, and by introducing awareness there is a hope to prevent suicidality and provide greater support.

🚶‍♂️‍➡️🚶‍♂️‍➡️🚶‍♂️‍➡️

This change is a result of the Government’s consultation, but it has been brought about with the tireless efforts of Mike, Andy and Tim from 3 Dads Walking.

https://lnkd.in/em4DujT2

These men came together after losing their daughters to suicide, and began a four year campaign to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention services. They have walked more than 1,500 miles and raised over £1.5 million for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide, as well as campaigning for national change and an increased awareness of suicide among young people.

This change in guidance is a huge success for the sector and for education, but an even bigger achievement for the 3 Dads. We want to join with the nation and the Suicide Prevention Sector to thank these men for their determination and effort.

hashtag#suicideprevention hashtag#3dadswalking hashtag#fshe hashtag#departmentofeducation hashtag#mentalhealthlearning

Alice and the Mental Health Learning Team 🧠

Social Factors and Suicide

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

Suicide is the leading cause of death in men under 49 and women under 35. With a rise in mental ill-health and suicide, there is an ever increasing need for all individuals to understand how to spot signs of distress, effectively respond, and support a person in need. 

Mental Health Learning was founded in 2018 as a consultancy and training provider to support places of education and workplaces to help people to acquire this potentially life-saving knowledge. Our mission is to ensure that skills continue to grow amongst those who are most likely to see the signs of mental ill-health, self-harm, and thoughts of suicide. Our motivation is that our trainees can recognise these signs, then intervene to reduce harm in your place of education or workplace. 

In this post, we’ll be discussing how these factors can contribute to suicide risk, and we’ll be sharing resources and training, both for those in need of support, and for those who are working or living with people who may be at risk. 

Every life lost to suicide is a profound tragedy that sends ripples through families, communities, and society as a whole. Behind each statistic lies a human story — often shaped by social, economic, and environmental factors that go far beyond individual mental health. 

In March 2025, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published a review of the social determinants of suicide, and this highlighted a number of factors that could contribute to a risk of suicide. 

This review challenges the idea that suicide risk is solely related to a persons mental health, and fills in the gaps in knowledge around other risk factors of suicide. Previous research has highlighted the role of social determinants of health on mental health, but their impact on suicide is less understood. 

The aim of the review was to look at the link between ten social determinants of health (as defined by the World Health Organisation) and suicide mortality. It found the following associations:

  • Unemployment, low income, debt, and economic downturns are significantly associated with increased suicide risk.
  • Generous social protection policies (e.g., unemployment benefits) may reduce suicide rates.
  • Low education and adverse working conditions (e.g., workplace violence, low job control) are associated with higher suicide risk.
  • Environmental factors such as high temperatures, air pollution, natural disasters, and rural residence can elevate suicide risk.
  • Childhood adversity (e.g., neglect or abuse) is also a notable contributor.

Suicide Prevention Advice & Help

 ⚠️If you’re worried about yourself, or if the content of this newsletter is distressing – you can access help using the resources below ⚠️

If you’re worried about someone in your community

Your intuition is the most powerful tool that could tell you if someone needs help. Even if you can’t put your finger on it but something is telling you that you ought to be concerned about someone, trust your instinct. 
You might not know what to say and you may be worried about what you should do if there is something serious, but reaching out to someone doesn’t mean you have to be the only one helping them. Quite often it’s the case that we just need someone to listen and talk to.
Some of the things you’ve noticed that might be causing you concern could be: 

Emotional outbursts 

A change in appearance

Withdrawing from you or others 

Isolating themselves where they previously didn’t 

A change in mood

Seemingly hopeless talk such as “there’s no point anymore”, “i feel so low”, or “nothing is getting any better” 

We all react to emotional distress in different ways so there could be other things you’ve noticed. 

Start a conversation – share what you’ve noticed and ask how they are. The most important thing you can do is listen. 

Empathise with their feelings, acknowledge their struggles. Don’t feel you have to try and fix what’s going on for them – showing you understand their problems will be more helpful. 

It’s important for them – and you – that they have a support network of individuals and services if needed. Explore who else they can share their feelings with and support them to talk to others if they don’t feel able to do this alone. 

Thoughts of suicide are not uncommon and can affect one in five adults in a lifetime. Ask about suicide clearly and directly: “Are you having thoughts of suicide?” You will not create feelings of suicide by doing this.

If you’d like further information or training in suicide prevention, don’t hesitate to reach out: Training@mentalhealthlearning.co.uk

Alice and the Mental Health Learning Team 🧠

Self Injury Awareness Day – Saturday 1st March 2025

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

For over twenty years, March the first has been Self Injury Awareness Day, and it is marked by many mental health and support professionals, as well as individuals seeking to raise awareness of the prevalence of self harm.


” Awareness leads to understanding and empathy, banishing judgment and fear, and reducing the number of people who feel alone and suffer in silence. Raising awareness is about educating people who do not self-injure, and reaching out to people who do. “
Life Signs | Self Injury Awareness Day

What’s the difference between ‘self-harm and ‘self-injury?’

Self-injury refers to behaviours that are deliberately intended to inflict harm or damage to the body, and is often used as a coping mechanism to help deal with emotional pain. It often only provides temporary relief, but can be used to prove to a person that their pain is ‘real’, and often escalates in severity.

Self-harm is an umbrella term that can include self-injury, as well as other coping behaviours that cause harm to ourselves such as eating disorders, risk taking, drug or alcohol misuse.
At Mental Health Learning, we know all too well that the prevalence of self injury is getting worse. In 2024, the UK Government reported that the yearly rate of self-harm incidents in children and young people increased by 61% compared to the previous year (Gov.uk).

Despite this alarming increase, self-injury still carries a lot of stigma in our society, and stereotypes and judgements of those who self-injure are often preventing those who need help from reaching out for support. That’s why we think it is important to take this opportunity to address some of the myths around self-injury.

  1. Only women self-injure…
    Studies show that both men and women turn to self-injury as a coping behaviour.
  2. Self-injury is a ‘teenage white girl thing’…
    Statistics show that young people are likely to turn to self-injury, but this includes young people of all genders and ethnic groups.
  3. Young people self-injure and then grow out of it…
    Self-injury is not a result of immaturity. People of any age can find themselves turning to self-injury after trauma, during stress or to copy with distress, and this is a result of coping with more than they know how to manage.
  4. Self-injury is attention seeking…
    Those who self-injure are likely to suffer from shame and guilt over their actions. They may have hidden it before reaching out for help.
  5. Self-injury is manipulative behaviour…
    When a person is desperate, and feels that their control has been taken away, they may turn to anything they can to cope. Self-injury is a plea for help in coping with the overwhelming feelings a person is experiencing, and should be responded to with support.
    Life Signs | Self Injury Myths

This addresses just some of the myths around self-injury, but it is easy to see how these assumptions can be harmful to those who are using self-injury to cope with their distress.

These myths negate an understanding of the reasons behind self-injury, and will likely cause the person to feel shame, embarrassment and make them less likely to feel they can share their feelings or reach out for help. Without addressing the root cause of the distress, this cycle continues and is likely to lead to an escalation of the behaviour.


The best way to help a person who is self-injuring is to break this cycle and prevent future self-harming behaviours.

How You Can Help
It can be hard to know how to approach the subject of self-injury, or self-harm, especially if we notice behaviours in young people who may feel less able to share their feelings.

If you are a parent or caregiver, or an adult working with young people, here are a few things to remember that may be useful.

Ask clearly and directly.
The best way to start a conversation is to ask. This can be difficult to do, but it will likely enable the person who is suffering to talk openly and give them relief.

Let them know you are willing to listen to their feelings with compassion.
‘Sometimes when individuals are going through difficult things and feeling really distressed, they can hurt themselves on purpose to try and cope with that distress. I’ve noticed that you are going through some difficult things and seem really distressed. Do you ever hurt yourself on purpose?’

Acknowledge the persons response.
Validate their reasons why, listen to how self harm helps them, but discuss the possible dangers and talk about what they could try instead.

Mental Health Learning Courses

We know how hard it is to talk about self-harm and self-injury, as it brings up difficult feelings for everyone involved. We provide training courses that can enable constructive discussion about these difficult topics, and equip you with the skills and confidence to have these vital conversations; whether you work with people at risk of self-harm or want to be able to help those close to you.

An Introduction to Self-Harm
This session is designed to teach the facts and fundamentals of self-harm. You will learn how to sensitively respond to self-harm and find out what sources of support are available.
Participants will gain:
– An improved understanding of self-harm
– Knowledge of the facts around it
– Understanding of how to sensitively respond to self-harm
– Knowledge of what sources of support are available.

Recognising and Responding to Self-Harm
With an existing knowledge of the fundamentals of self-harm, this course goes on to teach a more thorough understanding of self-injury and the different underlying meanings it can have for each individual, including contributory factors.
Participants will have:
– A thorough understanding of self-harm and the different underlying meanings it can have for each individual
– A greater realisation of what can contribute to self harm
– What to look out for
– How to sensitively respond and react
– The support that can be provided

We hope that you will feel able to discuss mental health and self-harm with your communities, but if you do need some extra training and support, please do contact us to find out how we can help.

Alice and the Mental Health Learning Team 🧠

On October 10th, it is World Mental Health Day, and the theme this year is;

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

“It is time to prioritize mental health in the workplace”.

We don’t usually mark specific days to raise awareness, as we work to do this every day, but the theme of this year rings true with our goals, and we wanted to use this opportunity to speak about why it is so important to prioritise mental health in the workplace. 

According to a recent report from Deloitte on mental health and employment, 59% of people who left their job or are planning to leave their job said it was ‘somewhat, largely or entirely due to personal mental health and well-being related issues’. 

The report states that the cost of sickness absence has increased by 20% in the last year to £7billion and presenteeism costing £24billion. 

It also found that 63% of respondents had experienced at least one characteristic of burnout, which it defines as ‘feeling of exhaustion, mental distance from their job, or decline in performance at work.’ 

This report makes a clear case that mental health is having a profound and detrimental impact on the workplace. These statistics show that it is not just employers that are suffering losses, but that employees are losing out on their ability and motivation to find and keep work due to their mental health struggles. 

It is abundantly clear how important and necessary it is for employers to invest in supporting workers and creating a mentally healthy workplace, and we strongly believe that training is an effective way for employers to begin to make impactful change. 

In 2023, we delivered courses to around 1,000 participants seeking to increase their awareness of mental health and suicide prevention, and this year has been equally busy.  We are seeing first hand that employers are investing more to make positive change for their workforce and we hope that this year’s WMHD theme helps to inspire more to do the same.

Our Courses

We offer a range of courses that can be beneficial to employers, and can also create bespoke courses that are tailored to your company. We know it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start, so we have some great courses to get you going on the path to creating a mentally healthy workplace.

This course teaches a greater understanding of mental health. You will gain knowledge of what it means to have good or poor mental health, increased alertness to the signs of mental ill health in the workplace, and an increased confidence to address them and put support in place.

In this training you will learn why we need to be alert to suicide. Understand what to look out for among employees, how to ask about suicide, and learn about the legal obligations as an employer. 

We offer a range of courses to suit your needs, whether you are an organisation seeking support, or an individual seeking a more in-depth knowledge, our courses are for everyone. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our Training Guide, please contact us as we are always happy to create bespoke courses tailored to you.

It’s always the ones you don’t hear about, never the ones you do. Or is it?

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

Actually, not always.

Yes we must acknowledge there are suicides that appear to happen ‘out of the blue’, with seemingly no verbal indicators or behavioural changes noticed by others.

But, there are also, individuals who die by suicide, having attempted to end their life multiple times before.

It is these individuals, that are too often not taken seriously. Labelled as ‘attention seekers’, ‘time wasters’.

Prior suicide behaviour, is one of the biggest predictors of future suicide attempts and death by suicide.

Individuals with thoughts of suicide, are stuck in between feelings of wanting to live and wanting to die. They can be pulled back and forth between the reasons for deciding on either of these options, and therefore there are different reasons behind the intended outcome of suicide behaviour.

Example 1. An individual has tried to verbalise their suicidal thoughts several times but they have been ignored, dismissed, or deliberately avoided by others.

This individual now feels they have to act on their thoughts of suicide because they feel they have to show those around them just how serious they are about suicide, in order to get the help they need. But if their actions too are not taken seriously, it could end in death.

All individuals with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours must be taken seriously.

Example 2. An individual’s thoughts have progressed to suicide planning. They attempt to end their live, but survive this attempt with the help of their Support Worker*. When thoughts of suicide overwhelm them again, and they take steps to end their life, they contact the same person/service, because that person/service helped them stay alive last time.

*or Teacher, Social Worker, neighbour, friend, Police Officer, Residential Care Worker etc

It makes sense doesn’t it? When an individual, torn between wanting to live and wanting to die is helped to stay alive, by a person (or service), it’s only natural they would go back to the same person again because they helped them! It means that person did something right. So when a person with thoughts of suicide, comes to you for the 2nd time or the 77th time, we need to respond with respect and compassion.

All individuals with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours must be taken seriously.

When individuals with thoughts of suicide aren’t taken seriously, when they are ignored, dismissed or avoided, sadly it can, and does end in suicide.

We need to change the narrative.

All individuals with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours must be taken seriously.

What does your experience tell you?

What are the messages around suicide behaviour within your workplace?

Do you receive clinical supervision or reflective practice to support you when working with individuals with thoughts of suicide?

Understanding self-harm and how we can help

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

How common is self-harm?

Self-harm is said to affect an estimated 1 in 14 people over a lifetime.  

However, there’s a problem with statistics. Statistics rely on individuals, self-reporting their self-harm. This might be through an anonymous survey collected by e.g a third sector organisation. Or perhaps they have attended A&E for help and for their injury to be treated.

An obvious problem here is that not all people will self-report or attend A&E. Self-harm is a secretive act that many children, young people and adults try their best to hide from others. This means that others are unaware and the data collectors are unaware. Secondly the individual would have to recognise their actions as self-harming.

What is self-harm?

Self-harm is generally defined as an intentional act of harm inflicted upon oneself. Certain behaviours spring to mind when we mention self-harm, but in reality, self-harming behaviours go far beyond the acts that are more commonly spoken about.

Self-harm can take the form of indirect behaviours and much less obvious behaviours, such as purposely getting into fights, eyelash pulling and engaging in risky behaviour.

Essentially, anything that is being done intentionally to cause harm to oneself, can be classed as self-harm. This tells us there are likely to be many more young people – and adults, that are harming themselves.

Looking beyond the behaviour

We’ll focus on young people. The aim of understanding self-harm in order to help the young person, must be to look beyond the behaviour and address what is causing it.

What emotions are behind the self-harm? What emotions does it elicit for the young person?

Do they recognise the emotions they are experiencing and where they are coming from?

Young people can self-harm for a wealth of different reasons – some find it gives them a sense of comfort, others a sense of control. Others it could be punishment, and others it’s a way to feel something when everything else feels numb.

By seeking to understand the emotions behind the self-harm and the needs it is meeting, we can identify appropriate alternative coping strategies. For example, if a young person self-harms to soothe themselves, meditation may be an appropriate distraction or coping strategy. If a young person self-harms to release built up pressure, then engaging in something physical like dancing or running may be an alternative strategy.

A young person cannot just stop self-harming, and this can be a long process through which we support them to try new ways of coping and introduce distraction techniques that gradually reduce the self-harm over time. They may also need additional support to address the problems that caused the self-harm in the first place.

Contact us today to book our 3.5 hour ‘Self-Harm Alert’ course for your team. Email training@mentalhealthlearning.co.uk or call 07970041324

Why LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training isn’t a ‘one-off’

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

Fantastic. Your team has attended LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Job done right? Another item ticked off the list. No need to build the cost into further budgets, everyone’s skilled up and ready to go for the rest of their careers.

Firstly, AMAZING if you have gotten this far – you’ve accepted that suicide prevention is your business and recognised this is a challenge your team can help with this. Not only that, but you’ve understood that your team should receive support through training to do this, and you appreciate the value behind ASIST – arguably the only skills building suicide intervention training that exists. Participants who attend ASIST are more prepared, confident, willing and able to ask about suicide and intervene. BUT does this feeling last? Do participants remember the knowledge, and keep the skills they develop, forever?

I wonder, if you could dig out your policy for manual handling.. for cybersecurity… Safeguarding… Physical first aid….

I’m fairly confident that each of those policies, would include words to the effect of ‘training to be completed by staff every X years’.

So, I’m curious, why so many organisations feel this should be different for suicide intervention training. That once the training bas been completed, there’s no need for staff to ever complete it again.

Why should we complete ASIST reguarly?

The need for regular, recurring training isn’t any different for suicide intervention training. You’re equipping your staff with suicide first aid, and like all training, memories fade and behaviours and skills can be unlearnt.

A suicide-first aid intervention is a life and death situation, and if your team haven’t used their skills for 2 or more years, recalling their learning will be difficult. If helpers feel unprepared, unconfident they will be less willing to ask about suicide and provide an intervention – some potential helpers may avoid help-giving altogether.

My team support individuals with thoughts of suicide on a regular basis – do they need to attend ASIST regularly?

Even if your team are frequently putting their training into practice, it’s still important for them to attend regular training. Without regular training there is a possible risk for caregivers to become desensitised. ASIST would give your team an opportunity to revisit their thoughts, feelings and attitudes around suicide and the experiences they have had which shape these. This reflective process would enable your team to consider their practice and what impacts on their help-giving qualities and approaches, as well as reminding them of the steps to take in an intervention and re-learn the skills needed to do this well.

How often should we attend ASIST?

The recommendation for individuals, is to attend ASIST every 3 years. Grab your certificate now, or check your calendar – if you and your team attended ASIST 2.5 years ago or more, contact Mental Health Learning to arrange a course today.

Survivors Of Suicide Loss Day – 19th November

Posted on by Alice Newton-Leeming

International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is an event where survivors of suicide loss come together to find solace, support, and connection.

Suicide Case Statistics In the UK In the Past Few Years

More than 5,583 suicides were registered in 2021 in England and Wales, which was 6.9 higher than in 2020 (5,224 deaths) and equal to an age-standardized mortality rate of 10.7 deaths per 100,000 individuals.

Moreover, Provisional analysis indicates 10.7 suicides per 100,000 people in Quarter 1 (January to March) 2022 in England, including 1,314 deaths. In Quarter 2 (April to June) 2022, there were 9.7 suicides per 100,000 people, including 1,201 deaths.

U.K. SUICIDE RATE DATA: 2015-2019
YearTotalMaleFemale
20197.9011.804.00%
20188.1012.204.10%
20178.2012.504.10%
20168.5013.004.10%
20158.8013.404.40%

The Impact Of Increasing Suicide Cases On Society

Experiencing a loss of a loved one to death by suicide can be devastating. After a person experiences death due to suicide, the emotional sensations that surface can be significant and gut-wrenching. Many individuals may feel guilty and wonder what they could have done to prevent the tragedy.

Each death leaves family and friends distraught and bewildered, fighting to comprehend and deal with their feelings about this loss. Yet, as a result of the stigma around suicide and mental health issues, as well as multiple layers of complicated emotions around suicide, people may be hesitant to reach out for help and support or may not be able to get the needed help they need to cope with this monumental loss.

Survivors Of Suicide Loss: Play Your Part!

Several recent studies have shown that it’s imperative to discuss and compensate for the well-being of survivors. Studies focusing on survivors of suicide have found that feelings of belongingness, talking about the tragedy, and social support are instrumental in their recovery and growth. In 2019, a study of suicide loss found that having greater social connection was correlated with fewer symptoms of depression, less bereavement difficulty, and increased personal growth.

individual being

One survey found that people tend to refrain from talking about their trauma to family and friends. This lack of sharing often leads to loneliness, detachment, difficulty coping, and a higher likelihood of sleep problems and depression. The authors state that when suicide survivors speak and share, the more meaningful trust helps them recover and prevents them from developing social security disabilities and health issues. You can help, by creating opportunities for loss to be shared and freely spoken about, reducing feelings of isolation. Mental Health Learning is doing the same so.

How Is Mental Health Learning Creating a Change?

Mental Health Learning provides mental health and suicide prevention training professionally tailored to your organisation or community. Their courses are 60 minutes to 2 days; they can come to you at your organisation or the location of your choice. Many of their courses can also be taken online. To know more about their courses and plan, visit their site.

Conclusion

Suicide is a tragedy that impacts everyone differently. However, bystanders and survivors can unite to support one another on Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. This day is an opportunity to reflect upon the loss of a loved one to suicide, open up about your own experience, and connect with others who understand what you’re going through. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help.