A leading national mental health and suicide prevention charity is offering a series of daily live ‘wellness webinars’ to support people in Wexford with their mental health.

Suicide or Survive, with the support of the HSE and the National Office for Suicide Prevention, say the interactive webinars have already been proven popular with hundreds of people tuning in from all over Ireland.

Recently released figures from the Central Statistics Office reveal why investment in wellbeing at this time is particularly important. The figures show a huge drop in overall satisfaction with life during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many relationships appear to be under strain. The number of people who said they were highly satisfied with their personal relationships fell from 60 per cent in 2018 to 42 per cent last month. More than a quarter reported feeling lonely over the past four weeks and nearly a third reported feeling downhearted or depressed. Other issues such as rising stress levels, increased alcohol consumption, poor diet and a lack of exercise appear to show cause for concern.

According to Suicide or Survive acting CEO Robert Carley, it has never been more important to invest in our wellbeing.

“The past few weeks have been very difficult for so many people, especially those who may have already been struggling with their mental health. Many familiar things are on hold, normal supports are not accessible and networks that we usually rely on are for now just out of reach. We see mental health and overall wellbeing as something worth investing in for everybody, regardless of whether you are struggling or not at this particular time. I think it’s never been more important to invest in our wellbeing.”

Carley says Suicide or Survive normally travels the country offering various mental health and suicide prevention programmes but decided to move much of its work online in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It has been challenging for us as a charity, especially when it comes to fundraising, but we’re hugely committed to continuing and even expanding our work. We already had some online programmes on offer such as our wellnessworkshop.ie website and the youmatter.ie youth website so we knew the potential. We also knew the interest was out there so we didn’t waste any time in developing additional online offerings. We are now seeing charities, companies and community groups contacting us to run customised workshops and webinars for them”

“The response has been incredible. People are tuning in from all over Ireland on a daily basis. Our trained facilitators are offering a safe, welcoming and interactive experience that allows participants to receive practical tips to support themselves and their loved ones from the comfort of their own home. This has been particularly important for people who might be feeling isolated, as well as those who can’t generally travel to attend workshops and events”

The online webinars last for approximately an hour and are freely available to all groups. All that is required is a decent internet connection to allow access from a phone, tablet or laptop. Participants need to register in advance at www.suicideorsurvive.ie and will then receive a link to their email. It is not necessary to turn on your camera as the only person on screen is the facilitator. Participants can, however, interact with questions and responses via a moderated chatbox.

“One positive benefit of this stay home and stay safe time has been that many of us have had more time for family, cooking, gardening, and DIY. Dedicating some of this time to improving our mental health and overall wellbeing is a great investment that will have huge benefits for each individual and for the entire family, both now and into the future” says Carley.

For more information see www.suicideorsurvive.ie