World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day aims to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, improve education about suicide, spread information about suicide awareness and to decrease stigmatization regarding suicide.

“Creating Hope Through Action” has been launched as a 5 week programme that finishes on the 10th of October on World Mental Health day. The programme is launched through the Health and Social Care (HSC) mental health and emotional wellbeing campaign. The campaign emphasises the importance of one of the Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing – that step is 'to Connect'. The campaign encourages people to take action by connecting with others and in doing so, to feel more hopeful and build mental and emotional wellbeing resilience.

Launching the campaign, Mental Health Champion Professor Siobhan O’Neill, said:

“As we emerge from over two years where connecting with people was limited, many people lost their routines and ways to connect with each other. Loneliness has become a growing issue for many of us. When we are lonely, we are at increased risk of mental health problems. That’s why it’s important we raise awareness of the need to connect, its benefits, and give people practical ideas and opportunities to connect in real life with others.

“Meaningful connections help us to cope better with stress and pressure, and our connections can help us recover when we are ill or injured so it has important physical benefits also."

If you wish to avail of the free mental health and suicide prevention training course which includes Stress Control, Mood Matters, SafeTalk and many more, then click here

If you or someone you know is in immediate physical danger through self-harm and in need of urgent medical attention at any time you should call emergency services on 999.

If you or a colleague needs help, support is available:

• The college has 9 Mental Health First Aiders who will assist and support staff until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crises resolves. For more information click here
• Contact your GP
• Contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 which is free with immediate support with counsellors available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to list and help in confidence.
• Contacting the Samaritans who are also available by calling 116 123. There is a Self-help App available to record feelings, recommendations to help cope, feel better and staying safe in a crisis - click here for more information. 
• Contact Inspire Wellbeing or UK Healthcare – Health assured for confidential counselling. For more information click here