A Mental Health First Aid Course and training is a program that trains people on how to help someone who has a mental disorder (including a substance misuse issue), who is experiencing a mental crisis, or who is suffering from a mental illness.
Mental health first aid is not like traditional first aid. It does not teach how to diagnose or treat mental illness or substance abuse conditions. The training teaches people how they can offer support to the first responders until professional help arrives or until the crisis is resolved.
Although first aid in physical emergencies is something that is well-known in developed countries, it does not usually include mental health issues.
The MHFA Course: Why Have One?
People with mental health issues are very common in the community. Therefore, members of the general public will likely have close contact with those affected. Many people don’t know how to recognize and provide support for mental health issues, or how to best help them. Many people with mental disorders don’t seek professional help, or they delay seeking it.
A person can get the help they need from a friend or family member who is knowledgeable about the available options for professional help. Someone with the appropriate mental health first aid skills is able to reduce the likelihood of someone getting hurt in a mental crisis.
People with mental health issues are often stigmatized and treated differently. This can be decreased by increasing public awareness.
History
In 2000, Anthony Jorm and Betty Kitchener developed the Mental Health First Aid Program in Australia. This Mental Health First Aid Program was developed in Australia by Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm in 2003. It has been expanded to many other countries, including Canada, England, France, and Germany. Hong Kong, India. Malaysia. Malta. New Zealand. Northern Ireland. Saudi Arabia. Scotland. Switzerland. The United States. The United Arab Emirates. Wales. Over 3 million people were trained in mental first aid by 2019, according to estimates.
Mental health first aid training: Research
Numerous studies have shown that mental health first-aid training has a positive impact on the knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and helping behaviour of people. The meta-analysis of data from 15 studies found that mental health first aider training “increases participants’ knowledge about mental health, decreases negative attitudes and increases support behaviours towards individuals with mental illness.”
An additional meta-analysis of 18 trials with 5936 participants found that Mental Health First Aid training is effective in increasing mental literacy and providing support for people suffering from mental illness up to six months after the training. The effects of the training were moderate to slight and continued for up to six months.
Training led to better mental health first aid knowledge, recognition and belief about mental disorders, as well as improved treatment options. A small decrease in stigma was also observed. There were also small improvements in the willingness to help someone with a mental illness and in the intention to give first aid. At follow-up, there were modest improvements in the amount and quality of care provided to someone with a mental illness.
International guidelines have been developed to help with mental health first aid.
Several course providers offer training in mental health first aid in Australia.
Aspire To Succeed offers MHFA training and courses locally at our Caboolture office for anyone interested
The Australian mental health first aid programs have received a variety of awards, including:
- Gold Achievement Award 2007 – Winner of the Mental Health Promotion Mental Illness Prevention Program/Project category at the MHS Conference
- Suicide Prevention Australia – 2005 Life Award
- Victorian Public Health Programs Award of Innovation, 2006.
- NSW Aboriginal Health Awards 2010 – Enterprise and Resourcefulness Award
- Silver Achievement Award for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Programs – Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Programs or Project Category at the MHS Conference 2010.
- Silver Achievement Award for Youth Mental Health Promotion or Mental Illness Prevention Program Category – TheMHS, Silver Achievement Award, 2014
- TheMHS Medal is the highest award of the Mental Health Service Awards of Australia or New Zealand that “honours a unique and inspirational contribution to Mental Health by a person or organisation”), 2017.