On the 17th of March, myself alongside other 6th form pupils at Radnor House school participated in the one-day Youth Mental Health first aid course. In this course we discussed and learnt about multiple mental health illnesses such as depression, eating disorders, psychosis and anxiety as well as talking about the stigma around mental health and the barriers this can add to people's everyday lives.
The course was very informative and opened many important conversations within the group, we all found the course very interesting and emotional, and the stories told were inspiring - one that stood out to me was Kevin Hines who survived a suicide attempt by jumping off of golden gate bridge in San Francisco. The fatality rate from jumping off golden gate bridge is extremely high so Kevin was lucky to survive, Kevin had a tough upbringing and him and his sibling were taken into child protective custody and foster care however luckily Kevin ended up with a loving family at the age of 17 he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
After his suicide attempt, he made a huge effort to better his mental wellbeing in order to cope with his bipolar symptoms and he is now a suicide prevention speaker and travels to schools, colleges, and universities to share his story in hope to help others. Learning about Kevins story during the mental health day stood out to me hugely and showed the resilience and strength that can be found after being at your darkest point. Throughout the day we also learnt about how to talk to someone in a mental health crisis by creating a safe space for the person, being empathetic and listening to what they are trying to tell you without judgement. We also learnt about the ALGEE action plan ‘A’ meaning approach, asses and assist with the crisis you can do this by having an open conversation and being sensitive and mindful and assessing for crisis by checking if the person is suicidal they are self-harming or they are in a severe psychotic state and assist by ensuring yours and their safety seek emergency help and staying calm, ‘L’ meaning listen without judgement, ‘G’ meaning give support and information and ‘E’ standing for encourage them to seek appropriate professional help and the final ‘E’ standing for encourage other support systems i.e. family, school, friends and others.
This day was extremely beneficial and at the end of the day all participants became qualified youth mental health first aiders – a skill we can use throughout our lives.
Support for if you are struggling with any of the topics mentioned:
Childline – for children and young people under 19
Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill
Samaritans – for everyone
Call 116 123
Email jo@samaritans.org
SOS Silence of Suicide – for everyone
Call 0300 1020 505 – 4pm to midnight every day
Email support@sossilenceofsuicide.org
