What Is Mental Health First Aid?
A mental health first aider is not an amateur psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, or diagnostician!
However, a mental health first aider is often the most important person in an effected person’s recovery.
I know from personal experience, that a person trained in mental health first aid can absolutely contribute to reducing suffering, can absolutely contribute to saving a life, without putting extra burdens on themselves and becoming the person’s psychologist.
This is because, just like physical health first aid, these experts mentioned above (doctors, psychologists, diagnosticians, etc) are not walking around with our colleagues, our friends, or our loved ones…but we are, and this proximity puts us in the best position to
- Notice early signs of possible impaired well-being.
- Engage in a conversation with the person about what they are experiencing. Provide immediate support.
- Guide the person toward appropriate resources, often involving professional help.
Below, I will provide a succinct overview of what is involved in these core steps of MHFA, and the difference these actions can make to a person experiencing a well-being challenge.
What Are the Key Steps in Mental Health First Aid?
1. Notice early signs of possible impaired well-being.
A mental health first aider (MHFA) is trained in the key facts about the main mental health challenges that people experience.
Given the amount of misinformation, misconceptions and stigma around the topic, receiving and discussing this basic knowledge and key facts already provides a MHFA with a unique skillset — accurate information to act upon, as opposed to being hindered by inaccuracies.
A MHFA is trained to know what signs to look out for, while acknowledging that there is not a lot of black and white in mental health, and there is lot of grey.
Human beings are not flow charts.
Many people will
- hide their symptoms of a mental health challenge,
- many people will “wear a mask” in social/work settings,
- many people will say “I’m fine” when they are not feeling “fine”,
- many people will not recognise their own symptoms, even though it may be quite clear to others that there has been some changes in the person’s behaviours…
So MHFA’s learn what signs to look out for (and then what to do when we do recognise possible signs of impaired well-being) with the strong caveat that there may be instances where we do not recognise signs due to the reasons mentioned above, and that we are not ultimately responsible for a person’s recovery, and to never to feel guilty for not recognising signs.
The point is that there are things we can do to greatly increase the chances of recognising possible signs that a person we care about is experiencing impaired well-being, and this is a skill which is discussed, reflected upon, and experienced in the mental health first aid training.
2. Approach the person and have a conversation about what the person is experiencing.
Provide immediate support.
At the core of mental health first aid is learning and practising how to have a conversation with someone about their mental health.
Once we recognise possible signs of impaired well-being, what do we say, how do we say it, and what resources are available to help?
This critical information is covered in the course.
The reason MHFA advocates initiating the conversation is because it is often unlikely a person struggling with their well-being will initiate the conversation themselves…and this leads to people we care about suffering in silence.
We can greatly increase our chances of the person taking positive steps to overcome their challenge, through the way we conduct this conversation.
Participants learn how to engage in dialogue
- in an empathetic way,
- in a way which greatly increases the chances that the other person does not feel judged or criticised,
- in a way which normalises the topic and encourages the person to open up about the effect their current situation is having on them
- in a way which signposts the person to resources to aid their effective recovery.
Key techniques for supportive conversations:
- asking open ended questions using “I” statements
- what questions to ask
- seeking to understand, not to be understood
- the use of silence and “really” listening as opposed to giving advice
- body language, tonality, authenticity (not reading a script)
- and much more, are discussed, demonstrated and practised in the course.
A mental health first aid conversation is so often the stimulus, the hope for recovery, the accurate information and resources, that leads a person to overcome their well-being challenge.
Without this conversation, a person often suffers for much longer periods of time, and the situation gets worse and worse as all areas of life become effected.
3. Guide the person toward appropriate resources, often involving professional help.
Mental health first aiders become aware of what resources are available.
The resources a MHFA shares with a person who is struggling with their well-being, depends on the specific situation.
Mental health is not a cooky cutter or generic solution.
They way to talk about solution options with a person is also dissected in detail.
For example, telling a person “they should seek therapy” is often not going to be well received.
Asking a person “What are your thoughts on speaking with an expert about some of these things you’ve been telling me…?” can be a door opener for more information and conversation.
MHFA learn about nuance like
- what are the costs involved,
- whether psychological treatments are covered by basic mandatory insurance,
- what the average wait time to speak with an expert is,
- what the different types of experts are
- what the company provides in the way of EAP programs
- what are the different options and alternatives
- and much more
Having said that, it is not always professional help, or speaking with an expert, that is the resource.
It depends on the severity of the situation, the duration, the person’s temperament, and many other factors.
This is discussed in depth in the training.
The Impact of Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is backed by Level I evidence—the highest level of evidence available. Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials consistently show that MHFA training increases participants’ confidence, knowledge, and skills in supporting others. These improvements are not only significant but are also maintained over time.
Since its inception, 7 million people worldwide have completed the Mental Health First Aid program. This global reach and consistent research outcomes underline the program’s credibility and effectiveness in empowering individuals to make a real difference.
By training in Mental Health First Aid, you can help reduce suffering, encourage recovery, and ultimately save lives.
Becoming a Mental Health First Aider
MHFAiders can facilitate meaningful change without taking on the role of a psychologist.
Globally, over 8 million people have completed Mental Health First Aid training. It’s a highly effective, internationally recognized program backed by research and real-world success stories.
Find out more about how to become an MHFAider and make a difference in your organization and beyond.
Author: Travis Simlinger, Founder of Progressive Coaching
Informed decision: Find out what our workshop participants say about our training here