Do Mental Health First Aid™ courses enhance knowledge?

Purpose Biased assumptions and unhelpful tendencies in human nature can lead people who are experiencing mental illness to shun help and support. Mental illness is often perceived as immutable and/or a sign of weakness. Even those seeking support may not receive the assistance they need. Advice may be unsuitable or people feel too nervous and challenged to help. The Mental Health First Aid™ courses, like general first aid, are designed to enhance community knowledge and thereby support appropriate assistance. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which this is achieved. Design/methodology/approach An educational audit based upon a short quiz administered anonymously to 162 tertiary students from a range of disciplines, before and after delivery of the standard 12 hour Mental Health First Aid™ course. This was used to examine assumptions and proposed actions before and after training. Findings Analysis of the 162 responses found that the Mental Health First Aid™ courses significantly improve knowledge. This has the potential to increase understanding and support for those suffering mental illness. Research limitations/implications This educational audit looked only at knowledge improvement. Whether this really does translate into improved outcomes requires further investigation. Practical implications Tertiary students who are enrolled in health courses and others which involve human interaction as provision of services will be empowered with skills that enable them to interact with those who they will be serving at well-informed level and equity. Social implications Social inclusion and de-stigmatising mental health issues Originality/value Mental health first aid courses potentially enable individuals who are not otherwise involved in mental health to assist people in need.

Download Full-text

Investigating the barriers and facilitators to implementing mental health first aid in the workplace: a qualitative study

The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice ◽

10.1108/jmhtep-12-2019-0064 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Melanie Jay Narayanasamy ◽

Louise Thomson ◽

Carol Coole ◽

Fiona Nouri ◽

Avril Drummond

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Good Practice ◽

First Aid ◽

Barriers And Facilitators ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Employee Characteristics

Purpose There has been little research into the use and efficacy of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) across UK workplaces. This paper aims to investigate the implementation of MHFA across six UK organisations, identifying key barriers and facilitators. Design/methodology/approach Twenty-seven workplace representatives were recruited from six organisations through purposive sampling and took part in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences of workplace MHFA. The data underwent thematic analysis, identifying key themes around implementation. Findings Implementation varied across organisations, including different reasons for initial interest in the programme, and variable ways that MHFA-trained employees operated post-training. Key barriers to successful implementation included negative attitudes around mental health, the perception that MHFA roles were onerous, and employees’ reluctance to engage in the MHFA programme. Successful implementation was perceived to be based on individual qualities of MHFA instructors and good practice demonstrated by trained individuals in the workplace. The role of the inner organisational setting and employee characteristics were further highlighted as barriers and facilitators to effective implementation. Research limitations/implications MHFA is a complex intervention, presenting in different ways when implemented into complex workplace settings. As such, traditional evaluation methods may not be appropriate for gaining insights into its effectiveness. Future evaluations of workplace MHFA must consider the complexity of implementing and operationalising this intervention in the workplace. Originality/value This study is the first to highlight the factors affecting successful implementation of MHFA across a range of UK workplaces.

Download Full-text

Mental health first aid training for the Chinese community in Melbourne, Australia: effects on knowledge about and attitudes toward people with mental illness

International Journal of Mental Health Systems ◽

10.1186/1752-4458-4-18 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Angus YK Lam ◽

Anthony F Jorm ◽

Daniel FK Wong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Chinese Community ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

First Aid Training

Download Full-text

Interactive Activities to Aid in a Comprehensive Understanding of Mental Health Within the Professional Athletic Training Curriculum

Athletic Training Education Journal ◽

10.4085/1947-380x-20-73 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 262-269

Author(s):

Jennifer Lynn Ostrowski ◽

Ashley Gray ◽

Ellen K. Payne ◽

David Wilkenfeld ◽

James R. Scifers

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Athletic Training ◽

First Aid ◽

Health Conditions ◽

Standardized Patient ◽

Counseling Session ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Athletic Training Students ◽

Mental Health Conditions

Context Mental health is a significant issue in the United States, with approximately 18.5% of adults and 22% of adolescents having a diagnosable mental illness. Athletic trainers are in a prime position to recognize signs of mental health illness in their patients and to facilitate referral to a mental health professional. Objective To introduce interactive approaches for developing mental health first aid and referral skills in professional athletic training students. Background Although the 2020 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education curricular content standards require programs to educate students about identification and referral for mental health conditions, the standards do not provide specific suggestions for instructing this content. Description Three educational activities have been implemented into the curriculum: an exploratory counseling session, Mental Health First Aid certification, and a standardized patient encounter. Clinical Advantage(s) The exploratory counseling session improves athletic training students' empathy for individuals living with mental illness. The Mental Health First Aid curriculum has been shown to raise awareness of mental health conditions and positively influence the number of people who receive professional help. Standardized patient scenarios have been shown to increase critical thinking and confidence with mental health cases and to increase knowledge in mental health assessment. Conclusion(s) Students' reflections support that these components have increased their competence and confidence in recognizing, intervening, and making referrals for individuals with suspected mental health concerns.

Download Full-text

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Program for Chinese People in Hong Kong

Research on Social Work Practice ◽

10.1177/1049731515585149 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 59-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Daniel F. K. Wong ◽

Ying Lau ◽

Sylvia Kwok ◽

Prudence Wong ◽

Christopher Tori

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Chinese People ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Good Mental Health ◽

Quasi Experimental

Purpose: Chinese people generally lack knowledge of mental illness. Such phenomenon may lead to a delay in seeking psychiatric treatments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program in improving mental health knowledge of the general public in Hong Kong. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted whereby 138 participants received MHFA training and 139 partook in seminars on general health, respectively. All participants filled out a standardized questionnaire before, at the end, and 6-month after the training. Results: Findings demonstrated that MHFA training might be effective in enhancing participants’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma, and improving perceived confidence in providing help to people with mental illness. Effect size statistics revealed mostly modest to moderate improvements in major variables in the experimental group. Conclusion: It is recommended that culturally attuned MHFA program can be used as prevention strategy to promote good mental health in Chinese communities.

Download Full-text

Exploring the role of mental health first aid officers in workplaces

International Journal of Workplace Health Management ◽

10.1108/ijwhm-06-2018-0082 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 366-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nataly Bovopoulos ◽

Anthony D. LaMontagne ◽

Angela Martin ◽

Anthony Jorm

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

Content Type ◽

Study Methodology ◽

Level Of Experience

Purpose An emerging trend in Australian workplaces is to appoint staff trained in mental health first aid as mental health first aid officers (MHFAOs), similar to physical first aid officers (PFAOs) focused on physical health emergencies. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the nature of MHFAO roles in workplaces and develop recommendations for other workplaces. Design/methodology/approach A case study methodology was used, with semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with multiple individuals within five diverse organisations. Findings The results indicated that organisations tended to differ in their approach to implementation, based on their level of experience. There was a strong agreement across organisations on the benefits and challenges they have experienced with the role. Practical implications Organisational representatives highlighted some important differences between PFAO and MHFAO roles. Respondents across all organisations agreed that MHFA training should ideally be offered to all staff if feasible, not only MHFAOs. The greatest challenge experienced by respondents was inadequate support to, and internal resourcing for, MHFAO roles. Respondents suggested that workplaces provide more support and training to MHFAOs. Originality/value This is the first study to explore and describe the experiences of workplaces with MHFAOs. Recommendations are made to assist interested organisations in these efforts.

Download Full-text

Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid: a meta-analysis

Mental Health Review Journal ◽

10.1108/mhrj-05-2019-0016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 245-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Amy K. Maslowski ◽

Rick A. LaCaille ◽

Lara J. LaCaille ◽

Catherine M. Reich ◽

Jill Klingner

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Publishing Research ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Content Type ◽

Quantitative Evidence ◽

Positive Effects ◽

The People ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper, a meta-analysis and systematic review of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), is to focus on studies that reported trainees’ mental health literacy, attitudes and helping-related behaviors, as well as the impact of the program for the people who came into contact with trainees (i.e. recipients). Design/methodology/approach A systematic search included several online databases of published studies, dissertations or theses, and journals commonly publishing research in this area. Studies were randomized or non-randomized control trials using an intervention based upon the adult or youth MHFA curriculum. Findings Of the 8,257 initial articles, 16 met inclusion criteria. Small-to-moderate effect sizes (Hedges’ g=0.18–0.53) were found for the primary outcomes for the trainees with effects appearing to be maintained at follow-up. Study quality was inversely associated with effect size. No evidence of investigator allegiance was detected. Few studies examined the effects for those who received aid from a MHFA trainee. Preliminary quantitative evidence appeared lacking (Hedges’ g=−0.04 to 0.12); furthermore, a qualitative review found limited positive effects. Research limitations/implications MHFA trainees appear to benefit from MHFA; however, objective behavioral changes are in need of greater emphasis. Additionally, considerably greater attention and effort in testing effects on distressed recipients is needed with future empirical investigations. Originality/value This is the first known review that includes preliminary findings on the effects of MHFA on the distressed recipients of the aid. It is anticipated that this will prompt further investigation into the impact of MHFA.

Download Full-text

Mental health first aid training among pharmacy and other university students and its impact on stigma toward mental illness

Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning ◽

10.1016/j.cptl.2018.07.001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1342-1347 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Zachary McCormack ◽

Jenna L. Gilbert ◽

Carol Ott ◽

Kimberly S. Plake

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

University Students ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

First Aid Training

Download Full-text

Feedback from American participants of a Mental Health First Aid training course

Journal of Public Mental Health ◽

10.1108/jpmh-04-2014-0016 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 118-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Viviana Ploper ◽

Rise Jones ◽

Dana J Kraus ◽

Annie Schmidt ◽

Patrick Corrigan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Geographic Area ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Data Set ◽

Content Type ◽

First Aid Training ◽

The Usa ◽

Survey Responses

Purpose – Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a course meant to train participants in how to identify and respond to signs of mental disorders and crises. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a qualitative study of MHFA participants to get a sense of some values and challenges associated with the training. Design/methodology/approach – Results from an online survey of 143 participants yielded 24 discrete themes. Survey responses were gathered into a single data set and coded by two independent raters. Findings – Themes were sorted into four categories: MHFA benefits, training limitations, challenges to MHFA, and resources that facilitate MHFA. Several benefits emerged, consistent with findings from Australian studies. Research limitations/implications – Findings represent a sample of people who completed the program in Chicago; research needs to determine how perceived benefits and limitations vary by geographic area. Originality/value – Findings echoed many of the benefits found in studies conducted outside the USA and can be used to further improve MHFA training as it expands in the US market.

Download Full-text