September is suicide prevention month, a month focused on raising awareness, challenging stigma and encouraging meaningful action. This September, we’re reminded how important it is to have open conversations about mental health, creating safe spaces for people to talk about topics like suicide. Asking someone how they are doing and really listening shows someone they are not alone and can help them to reach out for support. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) explains, “talking about suicide isn’t harmful — silence is. One honest conversation can be a turning point in someone’s life.”
Take the time to ask someone how they are really feeling today and really listen, you never know what a difference it could make.
How can technology help?
Safeguarding tools like those within solutions such as NetSupport DNA and classroom.cloud, can help make school staff aware of potential pupil mental health issues and capture concerning trends and topics. Identifying these issues early is crucial in getting pupils the support they need as soon as possible. Students may not feel able to speak to someone about how they are feeling but there may be signs in their online activity that show something isn’t right that could be missed without monitoring in place.