World Suicide Prevention Day
This World Suicide Prevention Day, your Welfare Officer, Grace Hannaford, discusses the importance of good mental health and what we're doing to help you.
Today marks World Suicide Prevention Day. This is an awareness day created by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The aim is to bring together all parts of the community to focus our attention to the ‘needs of people at risk of suicide, suicide attempt survivors and people bereaved by suicide’. The day also aims to encourage people to talk about suicide and how to prevent it.
Why it’s important:
Here at Swansea University Students’ Union, mental health is a big priority of ours and we continuously work towards providing the best services to our students and staff. Our Advice and Support Centre can help you with a wide range of issues, including academic, housing and money problems.
What we’ve done:
In 2016, SU President, Lloyd Harris, secured £5,000 in funding from the National Lottery’s ‘Awards For All’ scheme to help tackle the risk of suicide among Swansea Students. Teaming up with PIPS Programmes (a social enterprise that develops and delivers suicide prevention, resilience building and mental health training), and with the help of Welfare Officer, Jack Fossey, the two ran a series of workshops with the funding. The training aims to reduce the stigma around the issue of suicide, increase understanding of government suicide prevention strategies, help participants to identify warning signs of those at risk and introduce ways of developing positive mental health within participants. 135 students and members of staff took part and as a result, 95% of participants felt better equipped in talking to someone who was at risk and what support was available to them.
Following that, last year’s Welfare Officer, Shona Johnson, created a very useful Mental Health Guide. The handy booklet notes all the helpful resources to do with mental health at Swansea University and in UK. The guide is really popular amongst students and will continue to be updated and distributed throughout the year.
Shona was also successful in receiving an award of nearly £10,000 from the National Lottery to fund the second phase of the PIPS Programme. Because of this, six members of staff will be taking part in Suicide Prevention Skills for University Students in November. The ‘Train the Trainer’ style programme will enable the participants to run workshops.
What we’re planning:
The training in November will mean that the Union is doing what we can to prevent suicide and help with mental health issues amongst students. As well as running regular campaigns and providing free and confidential support through our Advice Centre, members of our staff will be able to provide mental health training to staff and students.
This year, I will continue to run campaigns and apply for further funding to make sure that these training opportunities can continue.
This next step in training programmes now means a long-term future impact for students. As a Union we are working hard to ensure that we keep students’ best interests at the heart of what we do. We know that moving to University can be a big change, and we’re here to make it as easy as possible. Stress takes many forms and talking to someone or knowing you can access online advice can help you to alieveate your feelings for example, of depression, low self esteem, loneliness and anxiety.
Find out more about our Advice and Support centre here.
However, if you don’t feel you can talk to your friends, other students or a member of staff from the union Samaritans have a free phoneline that’s open 24/7. Contact them on 116 123.
Grace Hannaford,
Welfare Officer
Diwrnod Atal Hunanladdiad y Byd
Ar Ddiwrnod Atal Hunanladdiad y Byd eleni, eich Swyddog Lles, Grace Hannaford, sy'n trafod pwysigrwyd iechyd y meddwl ar hyn rydyn ni'n ei wneud i'ch helpu.
Today marks World Suicide Prevention Day. This is an awareness day created by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The aim is to bring together all parts of the community to focus our attention to the ‘needs of people at risk of suicide, suicide attempt survivors and people bereaved by suicide’. The day also aims to encourage people to talk about suicide and how to prevent it.
Why it’s important:
Here at Swansea University Students’ Union, mental health is a big priority of ours and we continuously work towards providing the best services to our students and staff. Our Advice and Support Centre can help you with a wide range of issues, including academic, housing and money problems.
What we’ve done:
In 2016, SU President, Lloyd Harris, secured £5,000 in funding from the National Lottery’s ‘Awards For All’ scheme to help tackle the risk of suicide among Swansea Students. Teaming up with PIPS Programmes (a social enterprise that develops and delivers suicide prevention, resilience building and mental health training), and with the help of Welfare Officer, Jack Fossey, the two ran a series of workshops with the funding. The training aims to reduce the stigma around the issue of suicide, increase understanding of government suicide prevention strategies, help participants to identify warning signs of those at risk and introduce ways of developing positive mental health within participants. 135 students and members of staff took part and as a result, 95% of participants felt better equipped in talking to someone who was at risk and what support was available to them.
Following that, last year’s Welfare Officer, Shona Johnson, created a very useful Mental Health Guide. The handy booklet notes all the helpful resources to do with mental health at Swansea University and in UK. The guide is really popular amongst students and will continue to be updated and distributed throughout the year.
Shona was also successful in receiving an award of nearly £10,000 from the National Lottery to fund the second phase of the PIPS Programme. Because of this, six members of staff will be taking part in Suicide Prevention Skills for University Students in November. The ‘Train the Trainer’ style programme will enable the participants to run workshops.
What we’re planning:
The training in November will mean that the Union is doing what we can to prevent suicide and help with mental health issues amongst students. As well as running regular campaigns and providing free and confidential support through our Advice Centre, members of our staff will be able to provide mental health training to staff and students.
This year, I will continue to run campaigns and apply for further funding to make sure that these training opportunities can continue.
This next step in training programmes now means a long-term future impact for students. As a Union we are working hard to ensure that we keep students’ best interests at the heart of what we do. We know that moving to University can be a big change, and we’re here to make it as easy as possible. Stress takes many forms and talking to someone or knowing you can access online advice can help you to alieveate your feelings for example, of depression, low self esteem, loneliness and anxiety.
Find out more about our Advice and Support centre here.
However, if you don’t feel you can talk to your friends, other students or a member of staff from the union Samaritans have a free phoneline that’s open 24/7. Contact them on 116 123.
Grace Hannaford,
Swyddog Lles