Brief psychological first aid and introduction to suicide awareness training enabled participants to understand basic principles of having a short, supportive conversation with a person who is currently upset or distressed and may be experiencing suicidal thoughts.

The day began by explaining the difference between acute and chronic stress; explaining the link to and characteristics of a mental health crisis. We will then explored the acute stress response in more detail; defining and explaining the signs and symptoms of acute stress.

This led on to discussing the principle of psychological resilience. We explored what simple strategies can help a person recover from acute stress. We discussed the prevalence of suicide and the motivations and risk factors associated with suicide. This included discussing what is helpful and unhelpful when talking to a person experiencing suicidal thoughts.

The second half of the training covered the principles of psychological first aid and you were taught a brief PFA 4-step model to use when talking to a person who is upset and in distress. You also practiced the model with role-play scenarios.

By the end of this day you understood more about why stress occurs and simple self-help strategies that could help you and others. You also explored when professional support should be accessed and how this type of support can help.