Thursday 10th October marks World Mental Health Day and the importance of addressing mental health in the workplace has never been clearer as it is estimated that 15% of UK workers have an existing mental health condition1.
Thursday 10th October marks World Mental Health Day and this year’s theme, “Mental Health in the Workplace,” calls on us to take action. The importance of addressing mental health in the workplace has never been clearer as it is estimated that:
Source: Stevenson, D., & Farmer, P. (2017). Thriving at Work: A Review of Mental Health and Employers. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/658145/thriving-at-work-stevenson-farmer-review.pdf
Mental health is a vital part of overall well-being, and yet in many work environments, it remains overlooked or stigmatised. For businesses the financial implications of this run high;
Source: Deloitte. (2020). Mental health and employers: refreshing the case for investment. https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/consulting/research/mental-health-and-employers-refreshing-the-case-for-investment.html
STOP Suicide is dedicated to preventing suicide and we recently launched new training for high-risk communities: neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ and migrants. Many people in these communities face additional stressors, including discrimination, isolation, and a lack of understanding from those around them. By equipping workplaces with the skills to recognise and respond to signs of mental health crises, we can prevent tragedies and create supportive, inclusive environments for everyone.
Co-produced training with lived-experience communities
We are grateful to have partnered with several organisations that have provided valuable expertise in co-producing the courses. Here’s what The Kite Trust had to say:
“We know that supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our employees is important, not least because we can’t provide the best support and care for LGBTQ+ young people if we’re not looking after ourselves too. We know that having conversations around suicide can be challenging, but that it’s only through having these conversations that people experiencing suicidal thoughts can access the support they need. We’ve chosen to offer the new, tailored STOP Suicide training to all of our staff and volunteers so that they can be as equipped and confident as possible to have conversations about suicide and provide intervention to someone who might be suicidal, and hopefully help prevent avoidable tragedies” — Felix Turney, Programme Manager: Research, Policy and Major Projects, The Kite Trust.
Mental Health training for the workplace
Donna Stevenson, Expert Training and Development Lead at Neurobox emphasises the critical role that proper training plays in supporting both their staff and the communities they serve. Reflecting on the value of suicide prevention training, Donna said:
“Here at Neurobox, we are committed to ensuring our staff have the invaluable knowledge and tools that CPSL Mind’s training can provide to navigate through mental health challenges and suicide awareness and prevention. We understand that the knowledge this training provides can make a real difference for our workforce and the communities we serve.”
Mental health is everyone’s responsibility and we know suicide is the most preventable form of death. Conversations can save lives, and now is the time for workplaces to enable their staff to break the silence and stigma, creating safe spaces for people to ask, respond and know what steps they can take when someone discloses, they feel suicidal.
Whether you work directly with high-risk communities or simply want to create a more supportive environment, our suicide prevention training is a crucial tool.
Book your staff onto one of our free workshops today and help make mental health a priority:
STOP Suicide training: workshops and talks on suicide prevention (stopsuicidepledge.org)