Understanding Suicide and Suicide Prevention Strategies in a Global Context

Aims and target audience

Suicide is preventable, yet it is estimated that a person dies by suicide every 40 seconds somewhere in the world. This equates to over 800,000 people dying by suicide worldwide each year. On this course, you will gain a broader understanding of suicide as a worldwide issue, analyse global suicide rates and patterns and explore common risk factors. You will also explore the social and cultural factors that can influence suicidal behaviour, and look at suicide prevention strategies and learn how these can be enforced in communities.

This multi-agency endorsed course is for all healthcare professionals, including both medical and allied health professionals, who are looking to enhance their understanding of suicide as a global mental health issue. Anyone interested in health research may also be interested in this course. The Certificate of Achievement for this course may be useful for providing evidence of continuing professional development (CPD), or commitment to your career.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to

• Explain some of the risk factors for suicide in the global context
• Reflect on the impact of suicide at a personal and societal level
• Produce examples of different strategies used to try and reduce the risk of suicide
• Explore the role of stigma in the context of suicide

Delivery methods and styles

This is an online course, designed so learners can engage with the content in their own pace.

Please note that the “Comments” section on this course has been disabled.

Knowledge and skills required of the trainers

This course has been created by

• Julie Langan Martin: Julie is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. She is the Director of the Global Mental Health MSc in the Institute of Health and Wellbeing, at the University of Glasgow.
• Laura Sharp: Laura is a Senior Lecturer in the Digital Education team in Medical Veterinary & Life Sciences (MVLS), who works with the Global Mental Health MSc team supporting distance learning.

Assessment, CPD credits, certification

This course is approved by the British Psychological Society and endorsed by Suicidal Behaviour Research Lab, Breathing Space, Samaritans and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

Throughout the course, there are quizzes which constitute formative assessment so learners can evaluate their understanding of the content.