Online course for suicide prevention
In our online course for suicide prevention, you will learn about factors that protect people from suicide as well as risk factors, among other things. You will also focus on good encounters with persons at risk of suicide and their loved ones. The accounts of experts by experience deepen the content of the online courses.
Suicide is difficult to anticipate, but competence in these matters can be built up
According to previous studies, between 20% and 75% of those who have committed suicide have been in contact with primary health care during the month preceding the suicide. There are several possible reasons for the fact that despite this, suicide was not prevented. The person in question does not always reveal their suicidal thoughts, but there may also be shortcomings in the abilities of the caring staff. These may include poor mental health literacy, scarce clinical experience, as well as poor interview or interaction skills.
Encountering a self-destructive person can be one of the most demanding tasks for social and health care professionals. The problem is to distinguish, among a large number of people, precisely those who are at risk of suicide. People who do not want help or who use a lot of intoxicants also pose particular challenges.
There are also many other professionals who work at the interface of distress, so to speak. For example, police officers, professionals in emergency care and other mobile services, rescue workers and correctional workers are often the first professionals to meet a person at risk of suicide.
It is important that these professionals and other professionals in services where self-destructive clients are encountered also know how to identify and encounter a person at risk of suicide. Interaction skills and communication are things that can and should be practised in order to strengthen confidence in one’s own work and to increase one’s courage to ask about suicidal thoughts.
Suicide prevention online course
The purpose of the online course is to increase participants’ skills in interacting with people at risk of suicide, identifying the risk of suicide and bringing it up. The online course also offers specific course themes for professionals, such as planning the treatment of a self-destructive patient for health care professionals. The online course is open and free of charge for all interested parties. Entry requires registration.
The course is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Contact details
Pia Solin
Chief Specialist
[email protected]
