Could your team recognise when someone is at risk of suicide?

Employee wellbeing and mental health awareness are becoming an increasingly important part of workplace culture across Malta’s gaming industry, with practical training in how to respond to people experiencing distress also gaining attention.

Against this backdrop, SOS Malta is organising two ASIST suicide-intervention training programmes this September, following the successful introduction of the programme in Malta in 2025 and bringing it to Gozo for the first time this year.

ASIST, or Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, is an internationally recognised, evidence-based suicide-intervention programme. Developed more than 40 years ago, it has trained more than two million people worldwide and is supported by more than 43 peer-reviewed studies. The programme is also referenced by the World Health Organisation as a suicide-prevention resource and example.

Over two highly interactive days, participants learn how to recognise signs that someone may be experiencing thoughts of suicide, ask directly about suicide, assess immediate safety needs and connect the person with appropriate further support.

ASIST is not a clinical qualification and does not train participants as therapists. It does not replace emergency services, clinical assessment or ongoing professional care. Instead, it aims to give professionals and members of the wider community practical skills and confidence to respond safely and compassionately when someone may be at risk.

The training may be particularly relevant to Malta’s gaming sector, including HR and People & Culture professionals, Learning & Development teams, wellbeing leads, managers and team leaders, Responsible Gaming teams, customer-facing personnel and other employees who may find themselves supporting someone experiencing distress.

In many situations, the first person someone turns to is not a mental-health professional, but a colleague, manager, friend or another trusted person. Equipping more people with practical suicide-intervention skills can therefore help strengthen existing workplace support structures and bridge the gap between someone experiencing distress and appropriate professional support, according to SOS Malta.

The two ASIST programmes taking place this September will be held in Malta on 14th–15th September at The Victoria Hotel in Sliema, followed by the first ASIST programme in Gozo on 17th–18th September at Barts University in Victoria.

The training consists of two full days of face-to-face, highly interactive training, amounting to 13 CPD hours. The standard fee is €590 per participant, with two coffee breaks and lunch included on both training days.

Participants who complete both days will receive a LivingWorks ASIST Certificate, together with an attendance certificate issued jointly by SOS Malta and Grassroots Suicide Prevention.

Organisations and individuals interested in participating in ASIST 2026 can register through the programme’s registration form.