Bell Let's Talk Day: Mental Health Advice from Dr. Marie-Claude Geoffroy
Dr. Marie-Claude Geoffroy (Educational and Counselling Psychology) is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair known for her longitudinal research on youth suicide and for testing mental health promotion intervention. For Bell Let's Talk Day (January 25) we asked Dr. Georffroy to provide the McGill Education Community with key advice on improving mental health for those who are suffering and for people who want to be active in helping others:
To help prevent suicide, we need to:
1) Break taboos
- Learn more about mental health problems
- Talk openly and respectfully about mental health
- Promote help-seeking behaviours
2) Be a source of social support
- Reach out to people who are struggling and let them know that they are not alone
- Show compassion
3) Raise hope
- Share resilience stories
- Share information about prevention and treatment
"If you are thinking about suicide, don't stay alone with your thoughts. It's important to get help," was a major takeaway from Dr. Geoffroy and her Youth Suicide Prevention research team who also supplied this article, Teen suicide prevention during COVID-19: How parents and kids can have honest and safe conversations.
To reach a professional:
- Info-Social 811 is a free and confidential telephone service where you can reach a professional 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. (Dial Option #2.)
- Association québécoise de prévention du suicide (AQPS)
- 1-866-APPELLE (277-3553)
- Text: 535353
Other resources:
- https://suicideprevention.ca/
- https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/blueprint-for-youth-suicide-prevention/
- https://afsp.org/
The Faculty of Education prides itself on advancing mental health and well-being in general societal, school-based, and sports environments:
- Education for Mental Health Resilience
- Childhood Anxiety and Regulation of Emotions (CARE)
- Institute for Human Development and Well-being
- Sport Psychology Research Lab
McGill University also provides mental health services:
