scholarly journals UK and Ireland survey of MPharm student and staff experiences of mental health curricula, with a focus on Mental Health First Aid

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Gorton ◽  
H. Macfarlane ◽  
R. Edwards ◽  
S. Farid ◽  
E. Garner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Staff Experiences ◽  
Health Teaching

Abstract Background One in four people experience a mental health problem every year and improving mental health care is an international priority. In the course of their work, pharmacists frequently encounter people with mental health problems. The experience of mental health teaching, including Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, in undergraduate pharmacy (MPharm) students in the UK and Ireland is not well documented. Students’ viewpoints, contextualised with curricular overviews provided by staff, were analysed to understand their experience. Methods An anonymous, online questionnaire was distributed to MPharm students and staff in the UK and Ireland. Students were asked closed questions regarding their course and exposure to MHFA, which were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open questions were included to enable explanations and these data were used to contextualise the quantitative findings. One member of staff from each university was invited to answer a modified staff version of the questionnaire, to provide a curriculum overview and staff perspective. Results 232 students and 13 staff, from 22 universities, responded. Three-quarters of students did not agree with the statement that ‘mental health was embedded throughout the MPharm’. Most students (80.6%) stated that they were taught neuropharmacology whilst 44.8% stated that their course included communicating with people about their mental health. One-third (33.2%) of students stated that their degree ‘adequately prepared them to help people with their mental health’. Twenty-six students (11.6%) had completed MHFA training of which 89% would endorse inclusion of this within the MPharm. Of those who had not completed the training, 81% expressed a desire to do so. Those who completed MHFA training self-reported greater preparedness than those who did not, but student numbers were small. Conclusions Mental health teaching for pharmacy undergraduates is more focussed on theoretical aspects rather than applied skills. MHFA was viewed by students as one way to enhance skill application. The association of the increased self-reported preparedness of those who completed MHFA could be confounded by a positive environmental cultural. MPharm programmes need sufficient focus on real-world skills such as communication and crisis response, to complement the fundamental science.

scholarly journals Mental health curricula and Mental Health First Aid in the MPharm

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i37-i38
Author(s):  
H C Gorton ◽  
H Macfarlane ◽  
R Edwards ◽  
S Farid ◽  
E Garner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Pharmaceutical Society ◽  
Royal Pharmaceutical Society ◽  
Health Teaching

Abstract Introduction Improving mental health care is an international priority, and one that is championed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. (1) In the course of their work, pharmacists frequently encounter people with mental health problems. The extent to which mental health is taught on the undergraduate pharmacy degree in the UK and Ireland, and the inclusion of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, has not be described recently. Aim We aimed to determine how mental health teaching is embedded into the MPharm and students’ perception of their own preparedness to help people with their mental health. We explored if and how MHFA training is included, and students’ experience of, or desire to complete this. Methods We conducted an anonymous, online questionnaire of UK and Ireland MPharm students, distributed via networks and social media. Students were asked a series of closed questions about mental health teaching in the MPharm, and exposure to MHFA. We analysed answers using descriptive statistics. We included some open-ended questions to enable students to expand on their answers. We used this qualitative data to contextualize findings. We invited one member of staff from each university to answer a modified staff version of the questionnaire, in order to provide a curriculum overview and staff perspective on MHFA provision. Results 232 students and 13 staff responded, from 22 universities in total. Eighty percent of student participants were female and 70% were in the third or final year of study. Three-quarters of students felt that mental health was not embedded throughout the MPharm. Eighty-percent of students stated that they were taught about neuropharmacology and 44.8% stated that their course included communicating with people about their mental health. One third of students felt that their degree adequately prepared them to help people with their mental health. Twenty-six students (11.6%) had completed MHFA training of which 89% would endorse inclusion of this within the MPharm. Of those who had not completed the training, 81% expressed a desire to do so. Those who completed MHFA training self-reported more preparedness than those who did not, but student numbers were small. Conclusion Mental health teaching remains focused on theoretical aspects, such as pharmacology, with less emphasis on practical skills, such as communication skills that might support interactions about mental health. MHFA was viewed by students as one way to enhance this. Of the small number of students who had completed MHFA, they displayed an increased self-reported preparedness. This could, however, be linked to the environmental culture of the programme rather than the training per se. MPharm programmes need sufficient focus on skills including communication and crisis response that may be required by pharmacists, alongside the fundamental scientific knowledge relating to mental health. References 1. Royal Pharmaceutical Society. No health without mental health: How can pharmacy support people with mental health problems? London: RPS; 2018.

scholarly journals Mental health first aid for the UK Armed Forces

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M Crone ◽  
Mustafa Sarkar ◽  
Thomas Curran ◽  
Colin M Baker ◽  
Denise Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Education programmes in mental health literacy can address stigma and misunderstanding of mental health. This study investigated self-rated differences in knowledge, attitudes and confidence around mental health issues following participation in a bespoke Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course for the Armed Forces. The mixed methods approach comprised quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. A survey, administered immediately post-training (n = 602) and again at 10-months post-attendance (n = 120), asked participants to rate their knowledge, attitudes and confidence around mental health issues pre- and post-training. Quantitative findings revealed a significant increase in knowledge, positive attitudes and confidence from the post-training survey which was sustained at 10-months follow-up.Semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 13) were conducted at follow-up, 6-months post-attendance. Qualitative findings revealed that participation facilitated an ‘ambassador’ type role for participants. This study is the first to have investigated the effect of MHFA in an Armed Forces community. Findings show participants perceived the training to increase knowledge regarding mental health and to enhance confidence and aptitude for identifying and supporting people with mental health problems. Results suggest that such an intervention can provide support for personnel, veterans and their families, regarding mental health in Armed Forces communities.

Effectiveness of Youth Mental Health First Aid USA for Social Work Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theda Rose ◽  
Judith Leitch ◽  
Kathryn S. Collins ◽  
Jodi J. Frey ◽  
Philip J. Osteen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Self Confidence

Purpose: Adolescent mental health is a public health priority. Considered an early intervention approach, Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) trains adults to provide initial assistance to adolescents experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the U.S. version of YMHFA (YMHFA-USA) among graduate social work students. Method: A quasi-experimental design ( N = 73; intervention, n = 39; comparison, n = 34), using the Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale, assessed the effectiveness of YMHFA-USA. Outcomes were measured at pretest, posttest, and 5 months in the intervention group. Differences between groups were compared at 5 months. Results: Statistically significant improvements in attitudes, beliefs, self-confidence, and knowledge were observed among intervention group students. At 5 months, these students had significantly better attitudes and greater knowledge and self-confidence than the comparison group. Conclusion: Results indicate YMHFA-USA may improve factors related to master’s level social work students’ abilities to engage with youth experiencing mental health problems.

scholarly journals A Mental Health First Aid Service in an Italian University Public Hospital during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Mauro Maldonato ◽  
Mario Bottone ◽  
Alessandro Chiodi ◽  
Grazia Isabella Continisio ◽  
Raffaella De Falco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been extremely stressful and has produced fear and anxiety throughout the population, representing a psychological emergency. This work aimed at presenting a mental health first aid service established within an Italian university public hospital context to address four different population targets (i.e., people vulnerable to mental health problems, health-care professionals, people in isolation, and general citizenship). Specifically, the organizational structure comprising four different areas (i.e., management, clinical, communication, and research) and first data collected from the foundation of the service until 3 May 2020 are presented. Findings indicated that anxiety and fear of contagion were the main motivations prompting both the general population and health-care professionals to ask for a psychological help. Furthermore, findings indicate that clients’ current quality of life was perceived as lower than in the past but also that imagined in the future, highlighting the importance of psychological first aid interventions. This service may represent an example for helping mental health professionals in developing similar services in their local realities, promoting health and individual and community resilience.

scholarly journals An evaluation of the teen and Youth Mental Health First Aid training with a CALD focus: an uncontrolled pilot study with adolescents and adults in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo ◽  
Claire Kelly ◽  
Kathy Bond ◽  
Russell Thomson ◽  
Shameran Slewa-Younan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
First Aid Training ◽  
Adolescents And Adults

Abstract Background Australia is an ethnically diverse nation with one of the largest refugee resettlement programs worldwide. Evidence suggests that although the risk of developing mental disorders in culturally linguistically diverse (CALD) adolescents may be elevated, professional help-seeking in CALD youth is low. This study sought to evaluate the face-to-face teen (tMHFA) and Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training with a CALD focus, which aimed at improving mental health literacy (MHL) and skills in youth and adults assisting adolescents with mental health problems. Methods An uncontrolled pre-, post-, and follow-up design was used to measure improvement in MHL measures in year 10 students and adults. Results A total of 372 year 10 students from 2 high schools were trained. 308 responded to the pre-training questionnaire, 220 responded to the post-training questionnaire, and 256 completed the 3-month follow-up questionnaire. A total of 34 adults were trained, 32 responded to the pre-questionnaire and 31 responded to the post-training questionnaire and 20 completed the 3-month follow-up questionnaire. Following training, students were more likely to endorse ‘helpful’ adults as valid sources of help (p < 0.001) and these gains were maintained at follow-up (p < 0.01). Significantly higher levels of concordant (helpful) helping intentions were found after training (p < 0.01), and this was maintained at follow-up (p < 0.05). Significant lower levels of discordant (harmful) helping intentions were found after training (p < 0.001), and this was maintained at follow-up (p < 0.01). A significant improvement in adults’ knowledge of youth mental health problems and Youth Mental Health First Aid was noted from pre- to post-training (p < 0.01) and was maintained at follow-up (p < 0.01). Confidence when helping a young person with mental health problems increased significantly after training (p < 0.001) and this was maintained at follow-up (p < 0.05). Conclusion Our findings indicated the training led to an improvement in a number of measures of MHL and helpful intentions of both the adolescents and adults evaluated. These results indicate that CALD tMHFA and YMHFA are a recommended way of upskilling those trained and thereby leading to the improvement youth mental health in areas with high proportion of ethnically diverse groups.

scholarly journals Review of Mental Health First Aid Programs

2020 ◽  
pp. 019394592098074
Author(s):  
Tiago Filipe Oliveira Costa ◽  
Francisco Miguel Correia Sampaio ◽  
Carlos Alberto da Cruz Sequeira ◽  
Isilda Maria Oliveira Carvalho Ribeiro ◽  
Vitor Sérgio de Oliveira Parola
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Group Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Aid Programs

Mental health first aid programs are interventions to empower the community to help people with mental health problems/crises. A review of these programs was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Published and unpublished works from 2009 to 2019 were considered. The review included 252 studies. Several Mental Health First Aid programs were identified, with varying characteristics, participants, and contexts of implementation. These group interventions were carried out among lay people to health professionals, and in adolescents to the elderly. Additionally, they were conducted in-person and/or virtually, using psychoeducational methods and informational materials. The programs ranged from 30 minutes to 24 hours. These interventions can address nursing foci, and the characteristics of the facilitators are similar to those of mental health nurses. Therefore, this review highlighted the opportunity for nurses to explore Mental Health First Aid programs.

scholarly journals Long-term effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid training: randomized controlled trial with 3-year follow-up

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J. Morgan ◽  
Julie-Anne A. Fischer ◽  
Laura M. Hart ◽  
Claire M. Kelly ◽  
Betty A. Kitchener ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problem ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Mental Health First Aid

Abstract Background Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training teaches community members how to provide initial support to someone with a mental health problem. Key gaps in the evidence base supporting the training are the longevity of effects beyond 6 months, effects on mental health first aid behavior, and the impact of support on the recipient of aid. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Youth MHFA course 3 years after training. Methods 384 Australian parents of an adolescent aged 12–15 were randomized to receive either the 14-h Youth MHFA course or the 15-h Australian Red Cross Provide First Aid course. This paper reports outcomes at baseline and 3 years later. Primary outcomes were cases of adolescent mental health problems, and parental support towards their adolescent if they developed a mental health problem, rated by the parent and adolescent. Secondary outcomes included parent knowledge about youth mental health problems, intentions and confidence in supporting a young person, stigmatizing attitudes, and help-seeking for mental health problems. Data were analyzed with mixed-effects models with group by measurement occasion interactions. Results 3-year follow-up data was obtained from 149 parents and 118 adolescents, who were aged 16.5 years on average. Between baseline and 3-year follow-up, there was a non-significant reduction in adolescent cases of mental health problems relative to the control group (odds ratios (OR) 0.16–0.17), a non-significant improvement in parental support reported by adolescents with a mental health problem (OR 2.80–4.31), and a non-significant improvement in the quality of support that parents reported providing to their adolescents with a mental health problem (d = 0.38). Secondary outcomes that showed significant improvements relative to the control group were parental knowledge about youth mental health problems (d = 0.31) and adolescent perceptions of general social support from their parents (d = 0.35). Conclusions This paper reports on the longest follow-up of Mental Health First Aid training in a controlled trial. Three years after training, participants had maintained their improved knowledge about mental health problems. There were some indications of other positive effects, but the study was underpowered to clearly show benefits to mental health first aid skills and recipients of aid. Trial registration ACTRN12612000390886, registered retrospectively 5/4/2012, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=347502

scholarly journals Evaluation of a mental health first aid workshop for healthcare professionals

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S1-S1
Author(s):  
Sara Abou Sherif ◽  
Sachin Patel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Strongly Agree ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
The Uk

AimsAnnually, 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem. Alongside the approach of increasing awareness of the issue amongst the general population, there is a drive to deliver training and education on the recognition and management of mental health crises. Limited resources exist to aid healthcare professionals in delivering mental health first aid (MHFA), with the vast majority focussing on lengthy training courses. Small group problem-based learning (PBL) is utilised widely in medical education and this modality offers advantages in deliverability, audience participation and experiential learning. Our aim was to deliver and explore the effectiveness of a PBL MHFA workshop to various healthcare professionals.MethodAs part of an Emergency Medicine Mental Health Education day, we delivered four 30-minute PBL MHFA workshops. These involved an introduction to MHFA, followed by an interactive discussion of 4 mental health simulated cases, whereby participants anonymously answered a range of questions using the web-based platform Mentimeter. We devised a simple MHFA A,B,C,D,E acronym to bring structure to problem solving. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were used to assess outcomes using Likert scales to measure various aspects of MHFA (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). Statistical significance was calculated using T-Test with P < 0.05 defining statistical significance.ResultA total of 28 professionals attended the workshops, 20 (72%) completed both the pre and post workshop questionnaire. 19 (76%) were nurses (5 Registered Mental Health Nurses and 14 Registered General Nurses), 3 (12%) were doctors, 2 (8%) were HCA's and 1 was a policeman. 15 (75%) of the participants reported historically having had the need to deliver MHFA but only 3 (15%) had previously received training. After the workshop, participants reported significantly increased understanding [3.0 to 4.3 (p < 0.05)] and confidence in delivering MHFA [3.05 to 4.30 (p < 0.05)]. There was significantly improved confidence in assessing risk [3.03 to 4.05], calling for appropriate help [3.45 to 4.35] and de-escalation techniques [3.05 to 4.15].ConclusionTo our knowledge this is the first mini PBL-based MHFA workshop. We have demonstrated that the PBL workshop setup is an effective means to deliver training on MHFA. We recognise the importance of MHFA training reaching a larger audience and its potential value if incorporated into national healthcare training programmes and made available to the general public.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document