Suicide Awareness Training hits 2 million
THE Zero Suicide Alliance's (ZSA)
free online Suicide Awareness Training has reached another major milestone for
Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW).
The training, which launched in November 2017, has now been taken 2 million
times at the start of MHAW, which runs until 15 May 2022. This equates to a cost
of just 99p per training taken following the Government's financial backing of
the ZSA in 2018 to improve suicide awareness training and the development of 1
of the most extensive digital resources to support suicide prevention
Each person who completes the training gains skills to have a potentially
life-saving conversation with someone who may be thinking about suicide.
ZSA co-founder Professor Joe Rafferty CBE said:- "We're delighted so many
people have taken our training and thank everyone who continues to support us by
sharing our training and messages. We believe that 1 life lost to suicide is 1
too many. You don't have to be a health professional to talk about suicide and
the more people who feel able to speak to someone at risk, the more lives that
can be saved."
Since launching the 20 minute training, the ZSA has added social isolation
training, including:- bespoke courses translated into Welsh and another for
students.
Steve Mallen, another ZSA co-founder who lost his 18 year old son Edward to
suicide in 2015, said:- "1 in 5 people will experience suicidal thoughts
at some point in their lives. Only 1 in 4 young people who die by suicide have
been in recent contact with mental health service. This is why it's important
more people feel able to have conversations with someone who's struggling. We
know talking about suicide doesn't come easily for most people, even if you're
talking to someone you know well. Our training aims to support people to feel
more comfortable and able to talk about suicide so that they're prepared if the
situation arises. I made a promise to myself to keep Ed's legacy alive and I'm
extremely proud our Suicide Awareness training has reached so many people and
continues to do so."
Expert reveals the surprising benefits that playing puzzles and games can have on your mental health
WHILST playing games,
whether it's a board game or a video game or team sport can be a
great way to spend your time, there are numerous benefits that games
can have on our mental health. Neal from SudokuCraze outlines 5 of
the biggest benefits that playing games can have on our mental
health.
Reduces stress... Games have been shown to slow our breathing, our
heart rate and our blood pressure and can result in giving us a
calming effect, therefore reducing stress. By engaging in a gaming
activity, whether it be a physical sport, a board game or an online
game on a regular basis, can leave us feeling more relaxed and
better able to cope with stressors around us from work and home.
Keeps your brain active and healthy... Games and activities that
require problem solving and critical thinking are fantastic ways of
stimulating our brain to keep it healthy. Grey matter in the brain
decreases as we age - a part that is directly responsible for
memory, emotions, and cognitive ability. Studies have shown that the
more mentally active we are throughout life and into our later
years, the more grey matter that we retain and therefore the more
healthy and active our brains are as we age. Board games, video
games and puzzles are all excellent ways to stimulate our minds and
stay sharp, whether we are young or old.
Boosts your mood... Not only are playing games fun, they also work
wonders in boosting our mood. When we engage in an enjoyable group
activity, our body begins releasing feel-good hormones, such as
dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins. These chemicals reduce
feelings of anxiety and depression, boost our mood, increasing
feelings of happiness.
Increases self esteem... Often when faced with a new challenge or
situation, we may question if we are capable of pushing through and
succeeding but through regular games, teamwork activities or sports,
we are better able to build our Trust in ourselves. Although it may
feel scary, or place us out of our comfort zone, consistently
working with others on a team can help us to feel more confident
both in and out of the team environment.
Increases attention span... Having a longer attention span means
that we are able to focus on a single task, for a longer period of
time, without becoming distracted. Attention span and focus is a
skill that can be improved upon and can benefit us in all areas of
our life, from focusing on lectures and Schoolwork to sitting
through meetings and staying focused on a project at work. Playing
any type of game that requires concentration, whether it be a board
game like monopoly or chess, or a video game, can help to increase
our attention span and therefore improve both the length of time and
the quality of our focus.