What is Mental Health First Aid Training? Here’s why you need to sign up

It's evident that the world is in the midst of two pandemics; the novel coronavirus, and that regarding mental health.

Indeed, it seems that opening up the conversation surrounding mental health has never been so crucial, given that during the course of the pandemic, 48 per cent of women say their mental health has worsened, per research conducted by Four Nine in collaboration with YouGov. 

As such, everything from small acts of self-care to more systemic approaches – such as Mental Health First Aid Training – are more imperative than ever.

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What is Mental Health First Aid training?

Four Nine spoke to Vicki Cockman, the workplace lead, at Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, about the practice, and how it can benefit people in and out of the workplace.

MHFA England provides expert consultancy and training to over 20,000 workplaces, including schools, universities, businesses and the public sector. This includes Youth MHFA, Higher Education MHFA, and Workplace MHFA.

Explaining the concept behind Mental Health First Aid Training, Cockman states that it's the mental health equivalent of physical first aid.

"The training provides participants with the skills and confidence to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues and effectively guide a person towards the right support, be that self-help or professional services," she says. 

Speaking about the courses offered at MFHA, Cockman details that although participants aren't trained to be therapists or psychiatrists, they are taught to provide initial support through listening and guiding in a non-judgemental manner.

"MHFA training also teaches people to look after their own mental wellbeing and spreads the important message that we all have mental health," she adds.

Why is Mental Health First Aid Training so important? 

Mental Health First Aid training works by opening up the conversation surrounding mental health. And as Cockman goes onto explain, this is key when it comes to "breaking down stigma, enabling people to seek support, and creating a mentally healthier society."

This, of course, is more important than ever given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted the lives of people all around the world.

Per the Centre for Mental Health, it's estimated that half a million more people are struggling with their mental health due to the novel Covid-19.

And as Cockman stresses: "as the wider effects of the pandemic begin to take effects, it’s more important than ever that the population are empowered with awareness, skills and knowledge of common mental health issues to support themselves and each other as we recover from a traumatic period."

What benefits can Mental Health First Aid Training bring to the workplace, in particular? 

While those professionally responsible for others should be "empowered", per Cockman, by supporting the mental health of their co-workers, Mental Health First Aid Training courses do show tangible results.

On behalf of the organization, a team of academics from the University of Nottingham surveyed 81 different companies using MHFA England's training courses.

They found that 91 per cent of respondents said that there had been an increased understanding of mental health issues in their workplace. Additionally, 87 per cent said that more conversations around mental health were occurring, and 83 per cent had noticed an improvement in procedures for signposting to further support.

Further, Cockman details that organisations that MHFA England work with have claimed to have seen increases of up to 75 per cent in referrals for common mental health issues to their occupational health services.

This, she explains, means that "staff are [more likely to access] professional support when they need it."

What normally happens when you receive Mental Health First Aid training? 

MHFA England offers a two-day course than qualifies participants as Mental Health First Aiders.

This involves giving employees:

• An in-depth understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect well-being
• Practical skills to spot the triggers and signs of a range of mental health issues
• Confidence to step in, reassure and support a person in distress using the Mental Health First Aid action plan
• Enhanced interpersonal skills such as non-judgemental listening
• Knowledge to help someone recover their health by guiding them to further support - whether through self-help resources, internal support such as EAP, or external sources such as their GP
• An understanding of how to keep themselves safe while performing their duties

As well as this, Mental Health First Aid courses also train participants on how to safeguard their own mental health.

How can you stress the importance of Mental Health First Aid training to someone who is sceptical about it? 

When it comes to converting those who remain wary of receiving Mental Health First Aid training, Cockman highlights that it's important to remember that we all have mental health - whether that be positive and negative - and that it can fluctuate as much as our physical health does.

Describing MHFA England's mission statement, Cockman continues: "We believe mental health should be treated equally to physical health, and as many of us have made our own homes our workplace during the lockdown, it’s more important than ever that workplaces commit to supporting employee mental health. By helping people to develop the skills to look after their own and others’ wellbeing, we aim to normalise attitudes and behaviours around mental health in all areas of society."

One of the greatest barriers to employees receiving Mental Health First Aid training is the issue of cost. While it's largely accepted that employers have a duty to care to their employees, budget can remain a sticking point.

To counter this point, Cockman points out the following statistics:

"Each year in the UK, 72 million working days are lost and 300,000 people fall out of work due to mental ill health. Intervening early can help prevent this. Better management of mental health in the workplace can improve productivity and wellbeing.

"Mental ill-health costs UK employers up to £45 billion each year. For every £1 spent on supporting their people’s mental health, employers get £5 back on their investment in reduced presenteeism, absenteeism and staff turnover.

"Evidence shows that investing in mental health first aid training, or other workplace mental health initiatives, is both morally and financially the right thing to do," she concludes.

Mental Health First Aid training courses

MHFA England offers a training course that educates participants how to look after their own mental health, and provides information on evidence-based self-care.

The training can take place in person or online, and will be conducted by a licensed MHFA England Instructor Member. Training can be accessed through your employer or delegates can book onto a public course themselves.

St John Ambulance also offers Mental Health First Aid courses that aim to "help raise awareness of mental illness, enabling people to support themselves and others to aid recovery." Their courses are "designed to reduce stigma through education and increase the provision of care for those who have a mental illness." They offer half-day, one day, and two-day courses for adults and youth alike.