By Becky Swantes / Washington University GWB - For years, Americans have been taking medical First Aid and CPR courses so that they are prepared to offer initial care and make informed decisions when medical emergencies arise. Until recently, however, there has been virtually no training for the general public on how to identify mental health needs for the millions of people living with mental health disorders. Many are unaware of the resources available for mental health support and treatment, and stigma around mental health problems is still extremely prominent in American society. This lack of training and knowledge is beginning to change within the U.S. landscape as more than one hundred people throughout the country have become certified trainers of Mental Health First Aid.

In 2001, Australian mental health clinicians Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm developed Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). This twelve hour training program is aimed at teaching those from all backgrounds the basic indicators and first aid interventions of common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-trauma distress, panic attacks, drug overdose, and suicidal behavior. According to the creators, MHFA comes out of the belief that mental health needs should be responded to in the same way as physical problems, and the public should play a role in the identification and care of those in need.

The MHFA action plan includes assessing risk of suicide or harm, listening non-judgmentally, offering reassurance and information, encouraging the person to get appropriate professional help, and promoting self-help strategies for successful mental health maintenance. A study by the Centre for Mental Health Research (2002) at the Australian National University demonstrated that MHFA is successful in improving participants’ ability to recognize mental disorders, changing their beliefs about treatment to be more like those of health professionals, decreasing the social distance and stigma of those with mental disorders, increasing the confidence and ability to help others through a mental health crisis, and helping participants locate and obtain professional resources.

Among the older adult population, detection of mental health issues is crucial. According to a study by Blazer, Burchett, Service, and George (1991) in the American Medical Association Journal, 26% of older adults live with some form of mental health problem, primarily depression or anxiety, yet most older adults go untreated. Mental health has been ignored in our society for so long that people are often afraid of what they do not know. Detection and treatment of mental health issues, however, is imperative primarily for older adults. According to the American Association of Suicidology, older adults are at an extremely high risk for committing suicide and make up a disproportionate number of suicides in the general population. A study by Kessler, et al. (2003) in the Journal of Gerontology shows that depression in older adults is more likely to go unnoticed or untreated than in other cohorts.

With the influx of U.S. based MHFA trainers, people across the country have many more opportunities to complete the course. The Missouri MHFA team is a leading partner in creating nationally unified trainings and materials, a national website (www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org), and ongoing results-oriented evaluation. To connect with one of the MHFA trainings already scheduled or to organize a MHFA training in your area, contact the Office of Transformation at the Missouri Department of Mental Health at 573-526-3702 or email transformation@dmh.mo.gov.