Five helpful teaching resources for World Suicide Prevention Day

Suicide is the leading cause of death in people aged 15-24 in many European countries, according to the International Association for Suicide Prevention, which is why it is incredibly important to talk about it – in schools, in homes and with people you trust.

“My brother took his life at the age of 26, leaving his family and friends in shock because there were no signs of a deep depression,” says Priscilla Dibble. “He left a very short note, but this was not a spontaneous decision. Everything had been planned; it was well thought out. This is why it’s essential to talk about how you feel. Those who are left behind are left wondering what they could have done for the rest of their lives.”

Thursday 10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day, and we have collected five resources for you to use in classrooms, during tutor time, in your PSHE lessons or at home.

1) The International Association for Suicide Prevention has produced a factsheet, which lists some shocking statistics about suicide. Did you know that over 800,000 people die by suicide every year, equating to 1 person every 40 seconds? Neither did we.

2) Young Minds has a whole gamut of teaching resources and materials, including videos, lesson plans and posters. For example, its #HelloYellow secondary lesson plan is intended to help students understand what mental health means, how to identify support and how to look after themselves.

3) The BBC has produced a series of powerful films and animations for both primary and secondary schools. Its Stories about teenage mental health series aimed at Key Stage 3 (8th grade and above) tackle important themes such as self-harm, bullying and anxiety.

4) DEAL is a free teaching resource for teachers and other educational professionals designed to help develop resilience in young people. It has divided its resources into four themes: Emotional health, Coping strategies, Dealing with feelings, Connecting with others.

5) The UK Government has created a mental wellbeing teacher training module to help teachers teach mental wellbeing. There are also links to other resources such as the Tenax Schools Trust, which has produced a series of short filmed recordings of lessons. The aim of these recordings is to illustrate how to turn mental wellbeing training into effective teaching.