Saving lives - success for suicide prevention skills training
New research from Public Health Wales shows that training given by Mind Cymru’s Positive Choices project is making a real difference to people’s willingness to discuss and tackle suicide and self harm..
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) teaches everyone how to spot the signals that someone is thinking about suicide and provides the skills to talk about this. The research shows that ASIST training makes it more likely that people having thoughts of suicide will find the vitally important help and support they need.
After completing the ASIST course:
- 97% of people felt more prepared to help a person at risk of suicide
- Follow up studies showed 73% of people had already used the training to help someone
One participant commented: “Having the confidence to talk to the young people I work with about their suicidal thoughts has really helped. Before I undertook the training it was something I was uncomfortable with because I was not sure how to take the next step.”
Alan Briscoe, Positive Choices Project Manager, said: “Today’s report proves that ASIST training gives people the confidence and practical skills they need to raise the issue of suicide with anyone they think might be at risk. We hope it will encourage more people to train so that we can get these skills out into communities and workplaces.”
The research findings are available in English and Welsh.
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