Tag: MHFA: Mental Health First Aid

First Aid for Mental Health

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Mental health first aid (MHFA) is the first step in helping a person experiencing a mental health crisis, and is intended to be used until other help arrives.

Just like physical first aid, the first aim of MHFA is to preserve life.

Evidence shows that many people experiencing a mental health crisis have thoughts of suicide, and some people act on these thoughts. This is why asking about suicide is the first step in offering help.

The current model of MHFA is known by the five-step acronym A.L.G.E.E.

Step 1: Ask About Suicide

This does not mean that you should ask everyone you meet about suicide, regardless of their situation.

What it does mean is that when you suspect that a person may be having suicidal thoughts, because of their level of pain or distress, or because of their situation, or even because you have a gut feeling that they may be considering suicide, you should ask them.

This may seem very challenging and difficult to begin with, but the MHFA course covers the skills and practice that will make this step feel more natural.

Once we are sure that the person is not in immediate danger we can put the next step into practice.

Step 2: Listen and Communicate Non-Judgmentally

People who are feeling distressed or experiencing mental health problems can feel that no one is able to listen to them, or to accept their feelings without judging them as weak or inferior.

Being able to listen to the person, and offering them the simple human kindness of the time to talk about how they feel, can help them realise that they are not alone.

Step 3: Give Reassurance and Information

This is not about offering advice or solving the person’s problems. It is about reassuring them that there is effective help available and that there are things we can do immediately to help the situation.

Step 4: Encourage the Person to get Professional Help

This is essential to their recovery.

Help may be in the form of their general practitioner (GP), other support groups, or therapy.

The help they need will depend on the type of problem(s) they are experiencing.

The MHFA course provides you with the information on where different types of help can be found quickly.

Step 5: Encourage Self-Help Strategies

When a person is experiencing mental health problems, there are things that can be done in the short-term to alleviate their distress.

Similarly, when treatment is underway there are often things a person can do to help recovery.

Keeping Safe

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The mental health first-aider must always put their own well-being and safety first. Taking care of one’s own health and safety can mean a variety of things depending on the situation.

  • Occasionally, people in a distressed state can become threatening to others due to fear or confusion. If you are in any doubt about your own or others’ safety, move away from the person and call for urgent help.
  • Even when the person appears threatening or unsafe, it is best to remain calm and continue to reassure the person of your concern for their well-being.
  • Be honest with the person. Tell them that you are concerned and are calling for help.
  • Sometimes people who are distressed become very attached to those who offer them help or comfort. As a first-aider, you are not obliged to take responsibility for the person’s long-term well-being and you should not agree to do more than you feel is reasonable. Your decision may depend on your relationship with the person and your own personal situation, but remember that the person’s well-being is not solely in your hands. A first-aider gives initial help before other help is available.
  • Helping a distressed person is stressful and sometimes very upsetting. A first-aider needs to practice good self-care.
  • Remember we are human beings and we cannot fix everything. When things do not go well with a person we are trying to help, it is important that we do not give ourselves a hard time.

Using the Skills of Mental Health First Aid

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Sometimes people are worried that being trained as a mental health first-aider will mean that they have to take responsibility for others even when this is too emotionally demanding or time consuming.

This is an understandable concern, but it is based on misconception.

People trained in mental health first aid (MHFA) are ordinary people who have been trained in what to do during a mental health crisis.

However, their role is only essential in the very short term, until other help can be found.

That other help can come in a variety of forms – from the person’s family or friends, a general practitioner (GP), a telephone helpline, a hospital accident and emergency department, or an ambulance.

A key thing to remember is that although the first-aider has been trained how to respond, they are never obliged to intervene.

Why Mental Health First Aid?

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There are many reasons for people to train in mental health first aid (MHFA).

Mental health problems are very common. As many as 1 in 4 people will experience mental health problems in any year. This means that most people know someone who has personal experience of mental health problems.

Currently, 1 in 20 people have depression. Around 80% of mental health problems are anxiety and depression. General practitioners (GP’s) are likely to diagnose 60% of mental health problems, and 90% of those will be treated by their GP’s. Almost 40% of absences from work are caused by mental health problems. Of all GP appointments, 70% will be patients with depression and anxiety.

Mental illness and distress has been a taboo subject in our society. This taboo is due to the stigma that surrounds mental health issues. In Western countries, people with mental health problems have been ridiculed or treated differently. For this reason, there is often a fear of speaking about such experiences.

Most people know very little about mental health. Good information and understanding about where to get effective help and treatment for mental health problems is invaluable when a crisis occurs, regardless of the setting. Receiving help or treatment early gives people the best possible chance of recovery.

Having people in the community who are comfortable talking about mental health issues, and who offer kindness, support and appropriate information, helps to reduce distress and promote recovery.

Many people are fearful of a diagnosis of a mental health problem, believing that receiving such a diagnosis will ruin their lives. This fear may cause people to hold back from asking for help when they most need it. Fears are kept alive by ignorance and a lack of understanding. Gaining more knowledge about mental health helps to ease fears and encourage recovery.

People from other countries and cultures who live and work in the United Kingdom (UK) may have very different ideas about mental health and find the National Health Service (NHS) and system confusing or difficult to access. For instance, Chinese medicine does not recognise the division between the mind and the body that is common in Western medicine. Therefore, a system that has separate care for mental and physical health may be difficult for a Chinese person to accept or feel confident using. Support that recognises and respects difference can help to bridge cultural differences and encourage understanding.

Professional help is not always immediately available. A ‘mental health first-aider’ can offer comfort and support in a crisis until help arrives.

In some instances, the person experiencing a mental health problem is not aware of the problem. Some illnesses cause the person’s thinking to be affected. In other cases, the person is so distressed that they do not know how to ask for help. Others may be aware that something is wrong, but may feel afraid of judgement or rejection. A mental health first-aider is trained to approach the person, offer assistance and to listen without judgement, enabling the person to say how they feel. The first-aider can then encourage the person to get appropriate help.

Knowing how to respond in a crisis is a key part of MHFA. It gives the first-aider confidence to know that they are offering effective help and not making things worse. MHFA is based on a five-step action plan that can be applied in any situation in which a person is experiencing mental health problems or distress.

What is Mental Health First Aid?

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Mental health first aid (MHFA), like any other type of first aid, is the help given to a person before appropriate professional help or treatment can be obtained.

First aid of any type has the following aims:

  • To preserve life;
  • To prevent deterioration of any injury or illness;
  • To promote healing; and
  • To provide comfort to the person who is ill, injured, or distressed.

MHFA is the help given to someone experiencing a mental health problem before other help can be accessed.

The aims of MHFA are:

  • To preserve life;
  • To provide help to prevent the worsening of an existing condition;
  • To promote the recovery of good mental health;
  • To provide comfort to a person experiencing distress; and
  • To promote understanding of mental health issues.

MHFA does not teach people to be therapists. However, it does train people in:

  • How to ask about suicide;
  • How to recognise the signs of mental health problems or distress;
  • How to provide initial help; and
  • How to guide a person towards appropriate professional help.