About this session
Suicide is a complex issue with no single cause, and there is no reliable checklist that can predict who will act on suicidal thoughts.
However, greater awareness of changes in behavior, circumstances, language and emotional wellbeing can help people recognize when someone may need support.
For men, stigma around vulnerability, expectations of self-reliance and difficulty discussing emotional distress can create additional barriers to seeking help.
Serious difficulty may also appear through withdrawal, irritability, hopelessness, increased substance use, changes in functioning or behavior that is noticeably different from usual.
This session explores male suicide prevention from a practical workplace perspective.
It builds understanding of risk and protective factors, develops confidence around direct and compassionate conversations, and clarifies how colleagues and managers can respond appropriately without taking on the role of a mental-health professional.
What your people take away
- Understand the complexity of suicide risk and some of the circumstances that can increase vulnerability
- Recognize behavioral, emotional and situational changes that may indicate serious distress
- Explore why men may be less likely to disclose difficulty or seek support early
- Develop confidence in beginning a conversation when concerned about someone
- Understand how to listen, respond and connect someone with appropriate professional support
- Recognize the boundaries of workplace support and how organizations can encourage earlier help-seeking
Shared with you
See the full session
Create your free Workbliss profile to see the rest of this outline and book it. It takes a minute, with your work email.
- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
- Book online, and browse 1,500+ more sessions for your teams
Already a member? Sign in
What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Understanding Male Suicide RiskA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Understanding Male Suicide Risk: the complexity behind suicide, how distress can present in men and changes that may warrant concern.
- The complexity behind suicide
- How distress can present in men
- Changes that may warrant concern
Covers 3 of 4 points in Understanding Male Suicide Risk.
60 minutes
60 Minutes — Module 1The session introduces the realities of male suicide risk, including the pressures, changes and behaviors that may indicate someone is struggling. Participants explore why distress does not always look like visible sadness and what can make serious difficulty easier to miss.
- Module 1: Understanding Male Suicide Risk
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Understanding Male Suicide Risk.
90 minutes
90 Minutes — Modules 1–2The discussion moves into the barriers that can prevent men from speaking openly and the practical skills involved in starting a conversation. Participants explore direct questioning, listening and the responses that can help someone feel able to continue talking.
- Module 1: Understanding Male Suicide Risk
- Module 2: Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Understanding Male Suicide Risk and Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Understanding Male Suicide Risk, Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation and Listening, Responding and Escalating Support.
Full day
Full Day — Modules 1–4The full session adds escalation, workplace boundaries and organizational prevention. Through facilitated discussion and practical conversation work, participants develop a clearer understanding of what they can realistically do when they are concerned about someone.
- Module 1: Understanding Male Suicide Risk
- Module 2: Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation
- Module 3: Listening, Responding and Escalating Support
- Module 4: Creating a Workplace That Supports Earlier Help-Seeking
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
What’s covered
Understanding Male Suicide Risk
Every length- The complexity behind suicideThe session begins by examining suicide as the possible outcome of multiple interacting pressures rather than one event or identifiable cause.
- How distress can present in menA closer look is taken at the different ways significant distress may become visible, including withdrawal, agitation, irritability, changes in motivation or increasingly risky behavior.
- Changes that may warrant concernThrough facilitated examples, the group examines changes in work, relationships, sleep, self-care, social contact and normal routines.
- Language, hopelessness and disconnectionThe session explores the importance of comments expressing hopelessness, burdensomeness, disconnection or a belief that circumstances cannot improve.
Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation
90 minutes and longer- Why men may stay silentThis section explores how expectations around toughness, independence, emotional control and being able to cope alone can influence help-seeking.
- What stops people from askingParticipants explore the hesitation people often feel about raising suicide directly, including fears of offending someone, making the situation worse or not knowing what to do with the answer.
- Opening a difficult conversationThe facilitator works through practical ways of beginning a conversation when someone appears noticeably different or concerning.
- Asking about suicide directlyThe session examines how a clear and compassionate question about suicidal thoughts can form part of an appropriate conversation when there is genuine concern.
Listening, Responding and Escalating Support
3 hours and longer- What helpful listening looks likeThrough guided discussion, participants examine the difference between listening to understand and immediately trying to solve someone's situation.
- Responses that can close the conversationCommon well-intentioned reactions are unpacked, including premature reassurance, comparison, minimizing the problem or immediately trying to provide solutions.
- Matching the response to the level of concernThe facilitator explores how responses may differ depending on what has been disclosed and whether there appears to be an immediate safety concern.
- Understanding the limits of your roleThe module clarifies what appropriate peer, colleague and manager support can realistically involve.
Creating a Workplace That Supports Earlier Help-Seeking
Full day only- What workplace culture communicatesThe final module examines how everyday workplace behavior can influence whether people feel safe admitting that they are struggling.
- The manager's roleParticipants examine what managers can appropriately notice and respond to without being expected to become mental-health specialists.
- Making support easier to accessAttention turns to the practical pathways employees may need when they decide to seek help, including workplace resources and external professional services.
- From crisis response to earlier preventionThe session closes by examining what it means to create an environment where conversations happen before someone reaches crisis point.
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation
How long is Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation?
Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Understanding Male Suicide Risk: the complexity behind suicide, how distress can present in men and changes that may warrant concern. A 60-minute session covers Understanding Male Suicide Risk in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Masculinity, Stigma and Starting the Conversation. A 3-hour session adds Listening, Responding and Escalating Support. A full-day session adds Creating a Workplace That Supports Earlier Help-Seeking.
Can Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Male Suicide Prevention: Starting the Conversation to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later. Need it sooner? Email hello@workbliss.ai and we’ll see what we can do.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.