Mental wellbeing site set up by woman who attempted suicide

A woman who runs a charity for those contemplating suicide has set up an online version of its successful wellness workshop.

Caroline McGuigan tried to take her own life when she was 29. She set up the Suicide or Survive (SOS) charity in 2003.

Ms McGuigan said she got “caught in the whole medical model” and there was a “lack of choice” for those who sought an alternative treatment.

The SOS wellness workshop was designed to give people the courage to deal with their own negative feelings.

The idea for the wellness workshop grew from the belief that people can learn to stay well by learning certain strategies and preventative measures.

The aim of the workshop is to give people the skills to monitor and evaluate their own wellness and seek appropriate support.

SOS has been running wellness workshops across the country for the past five years and a recent survey carried out by Trinity College Dublin examined its effectiveness and impact on participants' overall wellness.

Wellness shifts the focus on mental illness from the illness itself to helping an individual live a more fulfilling life by dealing with their self-destructive behaviour and living a healthier lifestyle.

The programme was used in Wheatfield place of detention in Dublin in 2012. Some 88 per cent of prisoner participants indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the workshop and 95 per cent reported that the workshop useful or very useful, with a number of participants identifying having completed the course more than once.

The programme was evaluated by the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). It found the wellness workshop was “overwhelmingly positive” and the vast majority of participants were “satisfied or very satisfied with its content”.

Some 95 per cent of participants were extremely satisfied with the workshop and 75 per cent reported that it greatly improved their wellbeing and that the improvement persisted over time.

Half of those whose attended the wellness workshop had experienced mental health problems and the single most important motivation for attending was to learn skills to manage their mental health.

Ms McGuigan said she was “extremely excited to bring our wellness programme online”.

“Our wellness workshops are focused on well-being and prevention.”

She added: “It’s important that we all understand that each and every one of us has a personal journey to mental wellness. At SOS we want to equip people with the necessary skills and tools so that everyone can maintain their mental wellness.

“Our workshop contains a universal message of wellness and practical tools that anyone can use whatever their circumstances. With the launch of the workshops online we hope to be able to reach and impact on even more people’s lives.”

The service is free of charge.

The Samaritans provides confidential non-judgmental emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide. Call the Samaritans on 116 123.