QPR Training: A Lifesaving Initiative by UK HealthCare
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Taking just an hour of your time could potentially save a life. This is the empowering message coming from a UK HealthCare initiative in Kentucky. The organisation is offering QPR training, a research-based mental health programme designed to equip members of the public with the necessary skills to react during a mental health crisis. It’s free, online, and accessible to all.
An Investment of Time
QPR, standing for Question, Persuade, and Refer, is a series of accessible steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. The training, which takes approximately one hour to complete, equips individuals to identify the warning signs of a mental health crisis. It further provides guidance on how to react and refer the person in crisis to appropriate help.
The Reach and Impact of QPR
The University of Kentucky community has benefited from this life-saving tool since last year. The programme recently celebrated an important milestone – over 1,000 QPR certifications. In recognition of the programme’s significant impact, the Healthy Kentucky Initiative is making strides to ensure online QPR training is readily available across the state.
Accessibility of the Training
The training is accessible to the public via a dedicated website and to UK students and employees through the university’s human resources portal. Those wanting in-person QPR training can also request this from the university’s Prevention, Outreach, and Wellness Education Resources (POWER). While this is tailored towards students and campus organisations, it illustrates the multifaceted support system the university seeks to provide for its surrounding community.
Why it Matters
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Kentuckians aged 10 to 34. This positions suicide as a public health crisis, the effects of which are felt by individuals, families, and communities alike. QPR offers a strategy for prevention. Studies show that it is most effective in regions where large proportions of the population are trained. Of those who were certified through the online module, 98% believed the training would aid them in helping someone in crisis.
Personal Stories
UK student Alexandrea Shouse feels more equipped to reach out and provide support after completing the training. Shouse’s personal journey with depression and suicide has inspired her passion for advocating for mental health resources and suicide prevention. For her, QPR training felt empowering and connective, as it helped her learn about on-campus mental health resources and events that she could use. Moreover, Shouse’s experience is a testament to QPR’s potential in creating a ripple effect of change in the community.
Call to Action
“The more awareness we get, the more community members we get; it’s going to make a difference,” Shouse said. This May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, taking just an hour for QPR training could potentially save a life down the line. As of April 12, the programme has certified 1,034 UK students, employees, and providers, and a further 73 members of the wider community.
Additional Resources
As part of its commitment to mental health wellbeing, UK HealthCare provides various employee support resources and access to mental health and substance abuse counsellors. Kentuckians can call or text 988 to connect with these professionals.
About UK HealthCare
UK HealthCare is much more than the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. It is a team of over 10,000 health care professionals dedicated to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients across the Commonwealth and beyond. Research and education are at the heart of its operation, as it continues to pursue the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. It is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.
