Training is vital to prevent suicide says mental health charity in Suffolk
Suffolk Mind has highlighted the importance of being trained to help a person who might be in distress.
Last updated 11th Sep 2020
The charity has spoken of the value of training after a GB Railfreight operator saved a man's life in Hampshire.
Harry, who received mental health training from Suffolk Mind, stopped to help a man he saw in distress at the end of August.
Harry said: "Being trained by Suffolk Mind gave me the confidence to approach the man. I used the techniques to understand his needs and told him a personal story to inspire him to talk to me.
"It took about 10 minutes before he began speaking to me and an off duty British Transport Police Officer. We were chatting for about 15 minutes until help arrived from Network Rail and the police. I felt quite shaken after the incident, but pleased and proud I was able to assist in saving his life."
The training from Suffolk Mind aims to help people understand the key link between emotional needs and wellbeing, and how to communicate with people who may be experiencing distress.
Ezra Hewing, Head of Mental Health Education at the charity, praised Harry's actions.
He said: "This heroic incident just shows how important mental health training is for businesses and individuals. The fact that Harry had the confidence to approach this man in need was absolutely fantastic, and ultimately saved his life.
We asked Ezra if this type of training would be wise to include in schools or higher education.
He told us it could be beneficial: "While we might think that training around suicide awareness might be the kind of thing that young people aren't ready to think about, they do experience suicidal thoughts and may resort to self-harm if they're not receiving the support they need.
"Teaching young people about coping strategies, signs and symptoms, and especially identifying unmet needs that may give rise to their distress, is something that we could be doing at a younger age to prevent suicide occurring later on in life."
If you are struggling with mental health and would like to know what services are available, visit Suffolk Mind's website.
Alternatively, you can call Samaritans anytime on 116 123.