Life Skills and Social Network Promotion

Businesses can provide wellness programs that focus on life skills like problem solving, stress management, and conflict resolution.  When people think of “suicide prevention” they usually think of hospitalization or crisis call centers, but if all we are doing is treating the crisis we will have a difficult time getting ahead of the problem. By teaching life skills and social network promotion, businesses can increase protective factors that make suicide risk less likely. For example, life skills can help people better cope with stress, improve their communication, and manage their mental health.  In addition, we know that one of the best ways to prevent suicide is to offer people a sense of purpose and connectedness. Creating a sense of community and belongingness is an excellent way to buffer the stress (personal and professional) that many employees experience.  Workplaces can create a sense of belonging in the way they welcome newcomers, address inclusion of diversity, offer social engagement, discourage cliques, and process conflict. These “upstream” approaches are likely to help build the resiliency that people need to handle difficult periods in their life and are much more cost-effective ways to prevent suicide when contrasted with the healthcare costs of a suicide attempt or productivity costs of a range of suicide crises.

• Live Your Life Well (by Mental Health America)
  Type of Organization: Non-profit
  Services: A national public education campaign dedicated to helping people better cope with stress and enhance their wellbeing. Research-based, practical tools to promote mental health.
  Format (print, webinar, blog, etc.): Web and print material
  Cost: Website free, nominal cost for print materials
• Workplace Health Promotion (by CDC)
  Type of Organization: Government
  Services: “How to” guide on setting up a workplace wellness program
  Format (print, webinar, blog, etc.): Online resource
  Cost: Free