10 Suicide Prevention Resources

According to the WHO, over 700,000 people die due to suicide each year. And for every suicide, there are more people who attempt to take their lives. This is why it’s crucial to always have access to suicide prevention resources to give a lifeline to those who are at risk. In this article, we’ll look into 10 suicide prevention resources that can familiarize individuals with suicide and how they can help themselves and save others’ lives.

Suicide Prevention Resource #1 – Suicide Prevention

Different workplace conditions affect the well-being of employees. It’s the company’s duty to take care of their employees so their mental health won’t deteriorate to the point of self-harm. SC Training (formerly EdApp)’s Suicide Prevention course by Dr. Rebecca Osborne highlights the different factors that could lead to suicide. It also discusses how to prevent suicide from happening by conducting a suicide risk assessment. By knowing the signs of suicidal tendencies, you can save your employees before something tragic happens. The course ends with mental health resources and help hotlines for the employees to take note of. This suicide prevention resource has four lessons that learners can easily complete at their own pace. Its microlearning approach makes it easier for them to absorb information, making the recall rate higher.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Online course

Suicide Prevention Resource #2 – Suicide Caregiving

Providing support for individuals who are at risk of committing suicide is not an easy task. This is because constantly involving yourself in a negative space can also take a toll on your own mental health. Taking care of your own well-being is the utmost priority for you to be able to take care of someone else. The Suicide Caregiving course on SC Training (formerly EdApp) is an excellent guide or refresher for suicide caregivers to read when they feel overwhelmed. This suicide prevention resource tackles topics, such as recognizing the warning signs for suicide, understanding suicide as a spectrum, building empathy, navigating changes, and setting safe boundaries. It contains 11 lessons that caretakers can complete anytime, anywhere. SC Training (formerly EdApp) courses are compatible with smartphones, laptops, and other digital devices so it’s very convenient. 

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Online course

Suicide Prevention Resource #3 – Suicide Safe Mobile App

Suicide Safe is a free mobile app that is accessible to all who are at risk of suicide. This suicide prevention resource gives an opportunity for those who have high-risk tendencies and otherwise have no access to a healthcare system to connect remotely. If you know someone who is in need of support and medical advice on what they’re going through then this suicide prevention mobile app is for you.  This app can also be used to raise suicide awareness and help someone in need thanks to its collection of information and resources.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Mobile app

Suicide Prevention Resource #4 – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing suicide and bringing awareness to the reality of suicide as a result of a mental health issue. The AFSP website gives facts, research, advocacies, and other materials and action plans revolving around suicide prevention. With their mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide, you can refer to this suicide prevention resource or share it with anyone who needs it.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Website

Suicide Prevention Resource #5 – Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention

Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention by AFSP is a 45-60 minute course program that talks about the warning signs and risk factors around suicide. It follows a format of problem scope, research, prevention, and action steps. This suicide prevention resource also contains materials, such as videos, that focus on suicide prevention in different communities. This is a good introduction to those who wish to learn more about the topic and how to prevent it. 

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Videos

Suicide Prevention Resource #6 – Understanding Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide: A Primer for Preventing Suicide

This suicide prevention resource highlights the importance of knowing both risk and protective factors to evaluate individuals. This paper aims to guide individuals on how to use them to lessen the risk of suicide. It starts by defining what those factors are and how they can be identified. It also gives major concrete examples to help readers better understand the difference between warning signs of suicide. To put all these into action, it outlines the seven-step strategic planning process where knowing risk and protective factors is an integral part of success.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: PDF file

Suicide Prevention Resource #7 – Suicide Prevention

Coursera has partnered with Wesleyan University to offer this course and help individuals have a better understanding of how suicide can be prevented. Here, learners will uncover both historical and modern theories of suicide along with the latest approaches on how to tackle them. It then delves into basic terms, facts, and the epidemiology of suicide. Public awareness will also be discussed, and examples such as public health interventions as preventative measures will be taught in-depth. It has 4 modules that contain different materials like videos, readings, and quizzes. This course can be finished in 7 hours and you will be given a shareable certificate upon completion.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Online course

Suicide Prevention Resource #8 – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a website that provides those who are at risk of suicide with the emotional support they need whenever they have suicidal thoughts. It also has a dedicated page for suicide prevention which outlines how we can take action by directing those who need help and support to the proper channels. It also lists down the common risk factors to spread awareness as these can contribute to the likelihood of suicide attempts. Warning signs are also discussed so these can be looked out for when exhibited to prevent suicide. The best part yet about this website is that it has a page for stories of hope and recovery which can help others know that they’re not alone in their struggles.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Website

Suicide Prevention Resource #9 – Saving Lives From Suicide

This on-demand webinar is presented by renowned suicidologist, Dr. Lisa Firestone. This 2-part webinar aims to equip individuals with the skills to identify risk factors for suicide along with the warning signs that can contribute to an attempt. Participants will be familiarized with conducting risk assessments and crisis interventions so they can determine who is at risk in the short or long term. Tried and tested suicide treatments and therapies for mental-illness will also be discussed which have now been part of the standard of care. It also discusses the difference between suicidal ideation and behavior and how they can be treated.

Cost: 9 USD
Resource Type: Webinar

Suicide Prevention Resource #10 – PROTECT | Suicide Prevention Training

This podcast series is brought to you by the psychiatrist, Dr. Manaan Kar Ray, who is the current Director of Mental Health Services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He created this podcast to help mental health professionals be aware of the latest competencies in suicide prevention and apply them in practice. The first episode in this podcast series starts by introducing Relational Safety where his PROTECT practice is grounded on. Aside from discussing recovery concepts, such as the Care Compass and TOP to TAP, listeners can find interviews with other mental health professionals and thought leaders in the suicide care space to gain other insights from their own experiences. The Suicide Prevention Training by Manaan Kar Ray can be found on popular podcast streaming services, such as Audible, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and Spotify. It’s suitable for audiences who prefer to learn more about the topic in an audio format, rather than reading. There are 27 episodes that can last from 15 minutes to an hour each, depending on the subject.

Cost: Free
Resource Type: Podcast