Mental health is a widespread but often misunderstood issue. Mental Health First Aid courses aim to help address this helping us to understand mental health and also to offer support to those in distress.
Why is Mental Health First Aid so important?
Mental health problems are one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide. Major depression is thought to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to the burden of suicide and ischemic heart disease. It is estimated that 1 in 6 people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem
It is also closely connected to societal issues including poor physical health, relationships issues, education attainment levels and employability.
If you are reading this blog, you have an interest in first aid. As you know, first aid focuses on offering initial support in a crisis until professional help is received, or is appropriate. We can also apply this principal to mental health and train people to offer initial support to those in distress.
Knowing some basic mental health first aid helps you to recognise the signs of ill mental health when they first develop. This means you can then direct the person to the help they need. Sooner. It also helps to remove the stigma often associated with mental health.
When we understand the nature of mental health problems they are not so frightening. We also know that when we offer help kindly and without judging or talking down to a person they often feel relieved and comforted. When we listen without judgement and without immediately trying to fix problems, a person will often talk through the crisis and feel calmer and more able to get appropriate help.
Introducing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) was first developed in Australia by Betty Kitchener and her husband Anthony Jorm. Like most brilliant ideas it came about in a very ordinary way. Betty and Tony were walking their dog one day when they realised that there was no mental health equivalent of physical first aid. In this short video Betty explains her development of the course and her own early experiences of mental health issues.
This germ of an idea led to an internationally recognised program of simple steps that can be used to help a person in distress. The course is now available many countries, and by 2016 1.7 million people had been trained in mental health first aid worldwide.
What is in a Mental Health First Aid course?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a training course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help someone who may be experiencing a mental health issue. It is an initial response to distress and all participants on the course understand that this help is given only until other suitable or professional help can be found.
Do mental health first courses really help?
Here are just a few positive outcomes that have followed on from someone attending a Mental Health First Aid course:
- A person who was considering suicide was helped and given time to reconsider. Afterwards they knew that they didn’t really want to die;
- Someone with severe depression was helped to think about recovery and to find ways to help herself;
- Participants on the courses have reported that their own mental health has improved after the course;
- After the training people say that they feel more confident about approaching a person who appears distressed.
By attending a Mental Health First Aid course, you too can learn how to help in a crisis such as a panic attack or suicidal thoughts and feelings. You will be able to ask questions that will help the person. You will be able to listen without judgment whilst giving the person space to talk about how they feel. You will also be able to give relevant information about help that is available.
Mental Health First Aid training with the First Aid Training Co-operative.
At the First Aid Training cooperative, we have developed a range of mental health first aid courses from 1 day Awareness courses to 2 Day First Responder type courses. We also have a specific course for Outdoor Practitioners. Find out more about our range of Mental Health First Aid courses here.
About our 2 Day Mental Health First Responder course:
We have, with the help of sector expert Brian Glass of Changes East Lothian, developed a 2 Day Mental Health First Responder course. This course runs over 14 hours, split between two modules. The first of these is online learning done at your own pace, while the 2nd module is a face to face training day in which you practice the skills required to be an effective Mental Health First Responder.
This course is the first of its kind in that it is an assessed qualification with a validity of 3 years, where traditional mental health first aid courses are certificates of attendance with no requirement for renewal. We felt that this was an important step in ensuring that mental health first aid is given the same emphasis as physical first aid – after all, mental health issues account for 54% of all working days lost due to health issues in the UK.
The following is a brief outline of what is covered on our Mental Health First Responder course:
- The Roles and Responsibilities of the Mental Health First Responder
- The mental health continuum
- Early warning signs of mental health distress
- Signs and symptoms of recognised mental health illnesses and other conditions
- Neurodiversity and mental health
- The FIRST Incident Procedure
- Suicide prevention and the suicide question
- Mental health recovery
- Mental health policy and monitoring in the workplace
The course does not train people to be mental health workers. It offers basic general information about mental health problems and is ideal for all workplace settings.
Find out more about our 2 day Mental Health First Responder course here.
Where can Mental Health First Aid be applied?
Mental Health First Aid skills can be applied anytime, anywhere, and to anyone in need. By addressing mental health issues with individuals, it often leads to improved workplace policies and practices. We look at the Workplace, Academia and what Government is doing about it below.
Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace
Some figures:
- Mental ill health is responsible for 72 million working days lost, which costs the UK economy £34.9 billion each year.
- However, the cost to the UK economy of all factors associated with mental ill health is estimated to be £74 – £99 billion.
- One suicide costs on average £1.5million. If you stop one suicide by performing mental health first aid, that’s a huge saving to society
- According to the Safety and Health Practitioner, “in the workplace, mental health issues can have a serious impact on both the morale of employees, those suffering from mental health issues and their colleagues who then pick up the additional workload”
- Action is being taken by employers as HR professionals are now required to assist employees with mental health conditions under the Equality Act 2010. However, low levels of disclosure continue to be a barrier to support.
Research from Employee Benefits has highlighted the growing importance of mental health support to employers. More than a quarter (26%) of respondents currently offered Mental Health First Aid training to staff, with a further 10% planning to introduce the training in future. The research found that in 2004, just 30% of survey respondents offered Employee Assistance Programmes to staff. By 2017, 70% of businesses were offering counselling or EAPs for employees. This growth follows increasing awareness of stress and mental wellbeing and the impact of mental ill health on the workplace.
Mental Health First Aid in Academia
Mental health is a key issue in academia, for student and staff alike. It is estimated that 75% of all mental health issues develop by age 24 meaning that university years coincide with the peak age of onset.
Recent data published by The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) has also shown a 210% increase over five years in the number of students with mental health issues leaving courses early. This has lead to calls for universities to ensure appropriate provisions are in place. A poll of over 1,000 students by the National Union of Students (NUS) found that, although eight out of 10 had experienced mental health issues over a year, less than half had sought support.
The Universities and Colleges Employers Association recently found that mental ill health accounts for around 20% of days lost for university employees. Burnout and stress are common from PhD students to vice-chancellors and issues such as isolation, lack of support, long hours and a normalised culture of overwork.
Mental Health First Aid in Government
The mental health portfolio in Scotland is covered by the Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport Committee. The Scottish Government have developed at 10 year mental health strategy which aims to deliver a comprehensive public mental health strategy for Scotland with a strong focus on prevention. You can read the full document here.
Meanwhile, the UK Government is currently reforming the Mental Health Act and is currently preparing the bill following scrutiny.
Interested in learning more about Mental Health First Aid?
The First Aid Training Co-operative runs a suite of public and private first aid courses. Private courses can be delivered at your choice of venue, at a time and date to suit you. We’ll come to you and tailor your course to suit your specific situation, based on one of the core course types that we have in our portfolio. We now have a range of courses available for those looking to become Mental Health First Responders in the workplace, raise awareness of mental health amongst their staff plus specialist mental health training for outdoor professionals. Check out our mental health first aid course suite.
Our FREE Mental Health First Aid Programme for your workplace – a great place to start:
In this online guide, we’ll share all you need to implement an effective Mental Health First Aid program in your workplace. Read more about implementing a Mental Health in the Workplace programme here. It’s a great place to get started on your organisation’s mental health support policy for employees.
