Suicide prevention, the Zero Suicide Alliance way.
On November 16th 2017 I was at the House of Commons for the launch of the Harry’s Masculinity Report. I hadn’t known before, but in another part of the Commons, Dr Joe Rafferty was launching the Zero Suicide Alliance.
I introduced myself to Joe and had a brief conversation about what we were both doing. I was really impressed with the training he was proposing, and after taking it myself the next day, after taking the training, I invited Joe to speak at the Male Psychology Conference at UCL the following June
Those who saw Joe speak at the conference in June 2018 will know that he has got a lot of inspiring things to say. But at the core is his work promoting the Zero Suicide Alliance training. I would encourage anybody to take this training. Not only does it appear to me to offer sensible advice (e.g. don’t be afraid to ask someone if they are thinking about suicide) but the training can be taken online and completed in as little as 20 minutes.
The training adopts the London Underground’s ‘see it, say it, sorted’ approach by suggesting ways to:
identifying when someone might be suicidal
speak out in a supportive way
signpost the individual to services or support
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, so please take the training, if not today then set a time in your diary to do it. The training is free and can be done by following the instructions here.
This article was first published on the Male Psychology Network website in 2018.
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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John Barry
Dr John Barry is a Psychologist, researcher, clinical hypnotherapist & co-founder of the Male Psychology Network, BPS Male Psychology Section, and The Centre for Male Psychology. Also co-editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Male Psychology & Mental Health, and co-author of the new book Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction (Wiley).