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Teachers are being trained to spot the 'warning signs' of suicide

The model has been compared to learning CPR.

Updated at 11.30am

A SPECIAL TRAINING programme to help teachers spot the distress signals that could lead to student suicide will take place later this month.

The event is being hosted by the national suicide prevention and bereavement charity Console.

Supporting Our Students suicide prevention training will take place in the Hilton Hotel in Kilmainham, Dublin on Friday, 17 April.

Console CEO Paul Kelly said the course will “enable teachers, lecturers and others in education identify the warning signs of students at risk and give them the skills they need to respond effectively”.

A host of complex problems from exam stress, bullying and social media harassment to self-harming behaviours, can lead to suicidal ideation among students in our second level schools and third level colleges.

The half-day programme is based on the suicide prevention training known as QPR: question, persuade and refer.

“Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognise the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help,” Kelly said.

“This QPR training involves helping teachers to recognise and respond to suicide warning signs that may appear in a student’s behaviour or conversation, in their work, or in their texts and social media communications.

Troubled students may be experiencing a variety of personal, emotional and psychological problems, only one of which may be suicidal desire and intent.

“Those attending will gain an insight into suicidal behaviour and how to spot distress signals that a student may be in crisis. They will learn what to do if they are concerned and how to refer someone for help,” he added.

The course will run from 10am to 1pm on 17 April. The booking fee is €50. For more information, visit Console’s website or call 01 6274347.

Console offers counselling services and 24-hour helpline support to people in crisis and those bereaved by suicide (Freephone 1800 247 247).

The charity has full time centres in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Wexford, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Athlone and Mayo. It also offers liaison services in counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Tipperary and Clare.

  • Console  1800 247 247 (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)

  • Aware 1890 303 302 (depression, anxiety)

  • Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie - (suicide, self-harm)

  • Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)

  • Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)

First posted at 7.50am.

Read: How many sons and brothers must we lose to suicide before we act?

Opinion: ‘When I realised my thoughts were unhealthy, I retreated into myself even more’

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25 Comments
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    Mute claire treanor
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    Apr 7th 2015, 8:44 AM

    Seriously! If some psychologists cannot spot it how do the expect teachers to spot it. Where do they get the time? Maybe it’ll be like the voice training they get in the dip, 1 lesson is highly effective.
    How about restoring guidance and counselling hours???

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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Apr 7th 2015, 11:29 AM

    A counsellor only gets to see you for a few minutes during an occasional appointment . The teacher who has six hours a day with the child will be able to document behavioural changes and how they interact with others, and can be of assistance to counsellors other professionals in determining the child’s needs.

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    Mute claire treanor
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    Apr 7th 2015, 3:08 PM

    It’ll be easy to spot in a 35 min class.

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Apr 7th 2015, 9:11 AM

    Such a training program should be available to all free of charge. It seems that the teachers will again be burdened with it. Ah! Sure the teachers can solve all society’s ills!!! Very important though for the opinionated to kick their asses when the teachers raise valid concerns at their Easter Conferences.
    There seems to be a hypocritical attitude when it comes to laying the burdens of society on our teachers while at the same time denying them a decent wage and leaving our young teachers with years of uncertainty by having them hop from one little contract to another. An effective teacher is of value to a community if the job is permanent. That way accumulated knowledge will enable the teacher to be effective beyond the narrow confines of curriculum. The backhanded compliment that the teacher should solve all ills simply illustrates the critical importance of the teacher’s commitment to society because the school environment gives certainty in a very uncertain phase of a child’s life. Very often the whole area benefits because of the teachers’ value to the society beyond the narrow confines of the classroom. Parents will invariably place more trust long term in the teacher where their children are concerned because they will be treated honestly. The teacher unions advocate yes for better pay but also yes for better benefits for their pupils. They give a service to the state which goes beyond that of the ordinary worker who only seeks personal benefit. Value our teachers.

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    Mute angela gaffney
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:59 AM

    Why can’t parents do a course surely they have a better chance of spotting these signs than teachers in a class of many student . It’s a terrible responsibility to put on teachers after a few hours training

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    Mute trickytrixster
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    Apr 7th 2015, 7:10 AM

    Very welcome idea,one suicide is one to many

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Apr 7th 2015, 2:36 PM

    If one is one too many, the true figure 550 per annum is a grim figure indeed.

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    Mute David B Kelly
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    Apr 7th 2015, 9:10 AM

    It’s so important that every teacher is trained that it’s only going to cost you
    50 Euro to do a half day course .
    If Console were really serious about this idea for teachers why not train them all nationwide for FREE.

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    Mute glenoir1
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:35 AM

    Why doesn’t the govt pay

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    Mute Ellen Metcalf
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    Apr 7th 2015, 12:12 PM

    This is wrong on so many levels. It seems like just another “schools should…” initiative but the topic here is far more serious than most such calls.
    It misunderstands the role of teachers in society and in the lives of children. It’s not actually like “Waterloo Road” or “Home and Away” where Sir or Miss is always available and spends as much time worrying about their charges’ emotions and home-lives as they do teaching them.
    To say that a half-day course enables anyone “to respond effectively” to mental distress serious enough to lead to suicide is ludicrous. It is not callous to say this is not teachers’ jobs; we would be doing children a disservice with amateur intervention instead of referral to fully-trained professionals.
    The analogy to CPR is unwarranted. CPR takes place in response to a catastrophic event, in a situation where even a few minutes delay can mean the difference between life and death.
    There is also a danger of a pattern emerging where enthusiastic graduates of this course intervene with students on the basis that doing makes the teacher a life-saving hero. The question will soon be “Do I have to say I’m suicidal to get help around here?” Students need teachers to be a calm, approachable presence in their lives and part of being a professional is knowing where your job ends and some-one else’s begins.

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    Mute Tallaght two
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    Apr 7th 2015, 6:51 AM

    Great idea. We need a real focus on suicide prevention in this country.

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    Mute Dingleberrycity
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    Apr 7th 2015, 7:41 AM

    So a half day course will make teachers experts in spotting a potential suicide? Either do it right or not at all.
    No doubt this training will happen while the teachers should be actually teaching rather than doing it during their 3 months holidays.

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    Mute Kenneth
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    Apr 7th 2015, 8:30 AM

    From your own extensive knowledge on the matter, what other training occurs when teachers should actually be teaching? Enlighten us please

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    Mute claire treanor
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    Apr 7th 2015, 8:47 AM

    Do you do your training in your own time? It will be part of teacher training and part of CPD as part of Haddington Rd. Hours. 43 hours extra I do a year UNPAID!!! Do you work 43 hours unpaid? Fair play to you.

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Apr 7th 2015, 9:35 AM

    I take it then that you would happily give up your holidays to do a similar training course. Or maybe you would have the children get four weeks holiday in the year which would mean you cannot bring your child on holiday because of the need for your child to be in school. Which might have the side effect of decimating the tourist industry and any other industry which depends on creating for children out of school!!!! The fact is teachers do not decide how much holidays the children receive. That is done by the Dept. of Education and Science following consultation and agreement between it, the Unions and the parents. During the “great snow closures” parents clamoured for the restoration of the lost days. The “solution” was that three days be in some way held back in case of snow. This meant that parents could not book a holiday for the midterm week in February because if it snowed in January they would lose the three days in February. If they had taken the chance to book a holiday would they then cancel in the interest of not losing three days of their child’s education? Also many teachers give up the first week of their summer vacation to attend a plethora of courses for which they can take some personal leave days at the discretion of their Board of Management. Would you do likewise with your holiday? Maybe if you really envy and begrudge the conditions of service of a teacher you should have become one any tried to change the system from within instead of sniping.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:34 AM

    We all experience periods of stress, sadness, and self-doubt. ‘These don’t make us mentally ill, they define us as human.’ ~ Dr Howard Forman

    We all have a biochemistry but it requires daily work to keep our physical / mental health in good shape. Starting with a good nights sleep and good nutrition. Lots of other things that can help and that can be worked on in schools ~ Yoga, meditation, mindfulness, exercise, emotional resilience, how to deal with bullying, building self-esteem etc Talk therapy can help. Also being with nature. And getting enough daylight and sunshine (when possible).

    I went to a lecture by 86 yr old Prof Ivor Browne last week. The lecture theatre was packed. Such an interesting presentation. If only the mental ‘health’ system could see our emotional well being on a more holistic level. The mind and body are very much interconnected. Instead of the predominant biomedical / drugging approach.

    The “Refer” part. Is what I would worry about in QPR. I hope that doesn’t mean where the GP puts a teenager on mind altering psychoactive drugs ie “anti-depressants” instead helps in developing their long term needs. Emotional well being is something that needs a life long approach and not some “quick fix” drug that can have severe adverse effects. Something I learned from experience.

    Young people in particular should not be on these mind altering drugs, due to the suicide risk. Hence these psychoactive drugs carry a black box warning in the US ~

    http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/UCM096273

    { Do not stop or change prescribed psychoactive drugs without talking to a good doctor, due to the dangers of withdrawal }

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:38 AM

    PS Any change that TheJournal could change the stereotypical picture ? Looks like someone who got too much drugs and is hiding in the corner of a mental institution ! That is not really how emotional distress looks like or feels like for most and there are some people who are trying to change the whole “head clutching” culture. Or in this case “shin clutching”.

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    Mute Aine Nibhern
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:45 AM

    TED Talk ~ The role of nutrition in mental health by Julia Rucklidge ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dqXHHCc5lA

    WRAP App demo ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BK_jLMToeM (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

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    Mute Mark Mc Steve
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:47 AM

    About time, this country is MILES behind in relation to spotting mental health issues

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    Mute Eilish Deegan
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:27 AM

    Michael ,what is this “holiday” thing of which u speak ,must only b available to the few. Have had such bad experience with “teachers” through my own school years and my children’s school years ,that I think it would b wiser to send teachers on courses to prevent people from becoming suicidal ,by learning to communicate in an agreeable manner , Its so easy for a teacher to wreck a child’s self confidence ,and it’s this lack of self confidence that starts the decline in a child’s mental well being .

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    Mute Gary
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    Apr 7th 2015, 3:42 PM

    Eilish, if a child is a brat then there will be problems with the teacher. There’s your issue I’m sure. A little bit of parenting goes a long way.

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    Mute Valerie Walsh
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    Apr 8th 2015, 6:15 AM

    Speaking as someone who tried to end my life, the period when I was planning my death I became very calm and content because I knew that the end was coming for the intolerable emotional pain I was experiencing. Nobody could have forseen that I had a plan to end my life. Suicidal people are not always going around with a sad face. this training will not help teachers.

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    Mute Pauline Geraghty
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    Apr 7th 2015, 10:36 PM

    Why don’t parents just give their children to schools after birth so they don’t have to do any child care at all.Schools are for educating your children.Teachers get enough flak for not teaching properly now they must become counsellors aswell – in one day !

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    Mute Craig Jones
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    Apr 7th 2015, 11:34 AM

    For anyone suffering from depression, I recommend the http://destroydepression.com/info.php system. Written by a former depression & PTSD sufferer, it teaches 7 natural steps which help to eliminate depression from your life and the success rate is very high.

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    Mute Dingleberrycity
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    Apr 7th 2015, 8:07 PM

    This thread appears to have gone viral among teachers… They are red thumbing all over the place…
    Shur their on there 2 week Easter hols… With another mid term coming up before their 12 week summer hols I guess it’s only right that they do this course during term time… Bless their over worked souls.

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