Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is exactly what you might think – a first aid approach to mental health. Originally founded and developed in Australia, MHFA has been successfully introduced in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, together with many other countries around the world as widespread as USA, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia, New Zealand, Nepal, Thailand and Finland.

First aid for physical injuries teaches people how to give initial care until medical treatment is accessed, and MHFA provides similar help for someone experiencing mental ill health. In teaching people how to give initial care, the course also dispels the fears people often have when they come across someone they suspect is experiencing mental ill health or is in distress.

Mental Health First Aid training is a 12 hour intensive course and is based on the concept of general first aid training.

One in four British adults will experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year. The intention of the Mental Health First Aid programme in the UK is to promote awareness of mental health issues and to train non-professionals to recognise those affected by mental health problems and offer initial help and guidance towards professional support. By training these "mental health first aiders" within the workplace and the community, it aims to tackle the prejudice and stigma traditionally associated with mental health problems, and to improve the outcomes for those affected together with their families, friends, colleagues and employers.