Mental Health First Aid

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Mental Health First Aid (also MHFA or first aid for mental health ) is an educational initiative that trains laypeople to help other people who are in a mental crisis or developing mental health problems. According to first aid for physical problems, the MHFA program does not provide training in how to diagnose or treat psychological problems. The aim of MHFA is to teach laypeople how to provide initial support until the person concerned receives professional help or the crisis subsides. The program is spread around the world and is funded by governments in the USA, Great Britain and Australia. By 2020, over 850,000 Australians (over 3% of the population) and nearly 4 million people worldwide have received training in mental health first aid through MHFA.

idea

Mental health problems are so common in society that contact with those affected is very likely for anyone. However, only a few people know how to recognize psychological problems, how to support those affected or what options there are for professional support and treatment. In addition, many people with mental health problems receive no help or help too late. People from the social environment who know the possibilities for professional help can support those affected in accepting help. In a mental crisis, such as suicidal ideation, a panic attack, or acute psychosis, someone with appropriate mental health first aid skills can reduce the risk of harm.

In addition, people with mental health problems are often stigmatized and discriminated against. By spreading knowledge and understanding of mental health problems, stigma and discrimination can be reduced.

history

The Mental Health First Aid program was developed in Australia in 2000 by Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm. Since 2003 the program has been introduced in numerous countries, including Bangladesh, Bermuda, China, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Canada, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria, Saudi -Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and the United Arab Emirates. . By 2020, over 850,000 Australians (over 3% of the population) and nearly 4 million people worldwide have received training in mental health first aid through MHFA.

Research on Mental Health First Aid

Many studies have shown that people who have attended an MHFA first aid course have improved knowledge, self-confidence and helpful behavior. Two meta-analyzes of data from 15 and 18 evaluation studies concluded that mental health first aid training increases participants' knowledge of mental health , reduces their negative attitudes and improves supportive behavior towards those affected.

In cooperation with MHFA, research was carried out to develop international guidelines for the best strategies for first aid for mental disorders. MHFA training has been included in the U.S. National Register of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

MHFA in different countries

Australia

The Australian MHFA program is run by the non-profit organization Mental Health First Aid International (trading as Mental Health First Aid Australia).

In addition to standard MHFA, MHFA Australia offers courses on the mental health of young people and seniors. There are also courses tailored to teaching in schools, online and blended learning courses. In addition, there are culturally adapted courses for Aborigines , Torres Strait Islanders , Vietnamese and Chinese-born Australians, as well as courses designed for special professional groups (e.g. medical students, nurses and financial advisors).

By 2020, over 850,000 Australians (over 3% of the population) had received training in mental health first aid.

The Australian Mental Health First Aid training program has received numerous awards, including:

  • Suicide Prevention Australia - 2005 Life Award
  • Victorian Public Health Programs Award for Innovation, 2006
  • Gold Achievement Award 2007 of the MHS conference in the category Mental Health Promotion Mental Illness Prevention Program or Project
  • Enterprise and Resourcefulness Award - NSW Aboriginal Health Awards 2010
  • MHS Conference Silver Achievement Award 2010 for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program in the Mental Health Promotion or Mental Illness Prevention Program or Project category
  • Silver Achievement Award 2014 of the MHS Conference for the Youth Mental Health First Aid Program in the category Mental Health Promotion or Mental Illness Prevention Program or Project
  • MHS Medal 2017 (the premier award among the Mental Health Service Awards in Australia and New Zealand, recognizing unique and inspiring contributions to mental health by a person or organization.)

Germany

The license holder for MHFA courses in Germany is MHFA Ersthelfer, a project sponsored by the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim. The non-profit project is being built up with funds from the Beisheim Foundation and the Dietmar Hopp Foundation .

England

Mental Health First Aid has been established and promoted by the Department of Health and the National Institute for Mental Health in England since 2007 with the aim of improving mental health in society. Mental Health First Aid England was founded in 2009 and operates as a non-profit company.

In addition to standard MHFA courses, MHFA England offers courses on youth mental health, courses that are tailored to teaching in schools, courses for the military, their relatives and veterans, and a three-hour introductory course.

Since 2009, England has trained over 400,000 mental health first responders and over 2,000 MHFA instructors. The Department of Health recommends that all employers in England provide MHFA training for workers. This is part of the "No health without mental health: Implementation Framework" initiative. The non-profit organization Business in the Community has recommended Mental Health First Aid for all workplaces since 2016.

United States

MHFA was established in 2008 by the National Council for Behavioral Health together with the Missouri Department of Mental Health in the USA. Since then, over 2 million first responders have been trained by a total of more than 15,000 instructors in all states, as well as Puerto Rico and Guam. The courses are offered to a wide range of audiences, including hospital staff, employers, religious communities and the police force.

Youth Mental Health First Aid was launched in the United States in 2012 to train how to support youth. Other targeted courses are offered in the United States for veterans, public safety, high schools, rural areas, and seniors. A Spanish version is also available for the standard and youth courses.

MHFA training has been included in the U.S. National Register of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Mental Health First Aid was part of President Obama's plan to reduce gun violence and improve mental health care. In 2014, SAMHSA was granted US $ 15 million by Congress to train teachers and school staff with Youth MHFA. The Mental Health First Aid Act of 2015 (p. 711 / HR 1877) is to provide US $ 20 million annually for training the American population. Fifteen states are sponsoring MHFA, including Texas with US $ 5 million.

Canada

MHFA Canada was founded in 2007 and has been managed by the Mental Health Comission of Canada since 2010.

In addition to standard MHFA courses, MHFA Canada offers courses on the mental health of young people, seniors and veterans, as well as culturally adapted variants for Inuit, Northern Peoples and First Nations. A professional group-specific course is also offered for police officers.

By mid-2020, nearly 500,000 Canadians had been trained in mental health first aid and more than 1,400 instructors trained.

United Arab Emirates

MHFA UAE was established in the United Arab Emirates in 2017 and is managed by the Lighthouse Center for Wellbeing, an ambulance in Dubai. The Lighthouse Center is the only accredited provider in the United Arab Emirates and offers the mental health courses for adults and adolescents.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kitchener, BA, Jorm, AF & Kelly, CM (2015). Mental Health First Aid International Manual. Melbourne: Mental Health First Aid International.
  2. ↑ https://mhfa.com.au/our-impact/our-global-impact
  3. ^ Kohn R, Saxena S, Levav I, Saraceno B. The treatment gap in mental health care. Bull World Health Organ 2004; 82: 858-866.
  4. ↑ Kitchener BA, Jorm AF. (2008). Mental Health First Aid: an international program for early intervention. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 2, 55-61.
  5. ^ Mental Health First Aid International Newsletter, November 2012. Archived copy . Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.mhfainternational.org/international-mhfa-programs.html
  7. ↑ https://mhfa.com.au/our-impact/our-global-impact
  8. ↑ Hadlaczky G, Hökby S, Mkrtchian A, Carli V, Wasserman D. Mental Health First Aid is an effective public health intervention for Improving knowledge, attitudes, and behavior: a meta-analysis. International Review of Psychiatry 2014; 26: 467-475.
  9. ^ Morgan, AJ, Ross, A. & Reavley, NJ (2018). Systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behavior. PLoS One 13, e0197102.
  10. ↑ https://www.mhfa-ersthelfer.de/de/was-ist-mhfa/guidelines/
  11. ↑ Langlands, RL, Jorm, AF, Kelly, CM & Kitchener, B. (2008). First aid for depression: A Delphi consensus study with consumers, carers and clinicians. Journal of Affective Disorders, 105, 157-165.
  12. ↑ Langlands RL, Jorm AF, Kelly CM, Kitchener BA. (2008). First aid recommendations for psychosis: using the Delphi method to gain consensus between mental health consumers, carers and clinicians. Schizophrenia Bulletin , 34, 435-443.
  13. ↑ Ross AM, Kelly CM, Jorm AF. Re-development of mental health first aid guidelines for suicidal ideation and behavior: a Delphi study. BMC Psychiatry 2014; 14: 241.
  14. ↑ Ross AM, Kelly CM, Jorm AF. Re-development of mental health first aid guidelines for non-suicidal self-injury: a Delphi study. BMC Psychiatry 2014; 14: 236.
  15. ↑ SAMHSA: Mental Health First Aid . Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  16. ↑ Kelly CM, Mithen JM, Fischer JA, Kitchener BA, Jorm AF, Lowe A, Scanlan C. Youth mental health first aid: a description of the program and an initial evaluation. Int J Ment Health Syst 2011; 5: 4.
  17. ^ Hart LM, Mason RJ, Kelly CM, Cvetkovski S, Jorm AF. 'Teen Mental Health First Aid': a description of the program and an initial evaluation. Int J Ment Health Syst 2016; 10: 3.
  18. ↑ Kanowski LG, Jorm AF, Hart LM. A mental health first aid training program for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: description and initial evaluation. Int J Ment Health Syst 2009; 3:10.
  19. ↑ Minas, H., Colucci, E. & Jorm, AF (2009). Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid training with members of the Vietnamese community in Melbourne, Australia. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 3, 19.
  20. ↑ Lam, AYK, Jorm, AF & Wong, DFK (2010). 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, 4, 18.
  21. ↑ Bond KS, Jorm AF, Kitchener BA, Reavley NJ. Mental health first aid training for Australian medical and nursing students: an evaluation study. BMC Psychology 2015; 3: 11.
  22. ↑ Bond KS, Jorm AF, Kitchener BA, Reavley NJ. Mental Health First Aid training for Australian financial counselors: An evaluation study. Advances in Mental Health 2016; 14: 65-74.
  23. ↑ https://mhfa.com.au/our-impact/our-global-impact
  24. ↑ https://mhfa.com.au/our-impact/awards
  25. ↑ https://www.mhfa-ersthelfer.de/de/was-ist-mhfa/
  26. ↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved on February 11, 2016.
  27. ↑ https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/impact-report-2019.pdf
  28. ↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on January 19, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  29. ^ Leading on mental wellbeing, transforming the role of line managers . February 4, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved on February 11, 2016.
  30. ↑ https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/about/
  31. ↑ SAMHSA: Mental Health First Aid . Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  32. ↑ https://www.mhfa.ca/en/program-history