Mental Health First Aid – Everything You Need To Know

Mental Health First Aid – Everything You Need To Know

Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone, just like physical illness. There is still a lot of stigmas linked to talking about our mental health, which makes it difficult to talk about and leaves others around us unclear of how to help and support us.

As a result, mental health first aid in the workplace is critical, necessary, and helpful to both the employer and the employee.

Mental health has the same negative implications in the workplace, and many organizations and employers continue to disregard it. It is, nevertheless, not uncommon for someone to have diagnosable mental health difficulties at some point during their professional career.

While employment can be a helpful distraction during difficult times, persons who suffer from mental illness at work sometimes face stigma and prejudice. Because we are afraid of being stigmatized, we hide our symptoms, which leads to a delay in receiving care and worsening symptoms.

Support from coworkers and upper management in the form of mental health first aid is seen to be critical in assisting employees with mental diseases at work. However, many of us are hesitant to deal with persons who are experiencing mental health symptoms because of a lack of understanding and fear that their lack of training would prevent them from receiving future promotions.

Being confused about how to help a struggling coworker isn't an excuse to ignore mental health first aid; on the contrary, it should be your workplace ally.

What Is Mental Health First Aid? - Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a two-day, quality-assured training course that teaches us how to better understand, diagnose, and support someone who is experiencing mental illness. First aid for mental health is not the same as therapy, and it is not the same as psychotherapy training. Rather, it instructs you on how to respond, listen, and reassure someone in a time of need, as well as how to avoid a crisis. It is critical to recognize the warning signals of someone who is suffering from mental illness to intervene.

The National Institute of Mental Health developed and launched MHFA in England in 2006 to improve the country's mental health approach. More than 33,000 mental health first responders, 1,900 youth mental health first responders, 640 MHFA teachers, and 110 Youth MHFA instructors work in the field today. Despite the high numbers, up to 300,000 persons with mental illnesses lose their jobs each year. This number can and will drop with the correct support, care, and attention.

MHFA believes that, just as we have a personal duty to look after our physical health and that of others, we should do the same for our mental health by using the first-aid strategy. The skills taught during a mental health first aid course help to manage difficulties both in and out of the workplace by adopting a sympathetic and systematic approach.

The Advantages of Mental Health First Aid 

A two-day MHFA course from a variety of organizations addresses the causes, symptoms, and treatments of common mental health issues, providing both professionals and non-professionals with better knowledge. Individuals with more knowledge can feel more confident in assisting someone who is having difficulties.

Mental health first aid assists in recognizing early warning signs in someone who is struggling and preventing their mental health condition from deteriorating. This can be accomplished by encouraging them to seek appropriate assistance while also offering hands-on first-aid skills to avoid a crisis, such as suicide or self-harm. Furthermore, as a guide and support network in the workplace, mental health first aiders can assist someone with mental health concerns in recovering faster.

First aid in mental health in the workplace lowers discrimination, which leads to a decrease in absenteeism (being absent from work) and presenteeism (not being present at work) among coworkers.

The Disadvantages of Mental Health First Aid

Because being a mental health first responder does not make you a therapist, there is further support that may be provided to a suffering employee. As a mental health first responder, your job is to recognize warning signals and react and comfort someone who is having difficulty at work to make their life simpler and reduce stress.

However, becoming a mental health first responder might have a negative influence on your mental health. While good training can help you identify what kind of help you might need, it also necessitates careful navigation, setting limits, and recognizing when to switch from empathy to apathy.

Irritability, feeling overwhelmed, loss of appetite and problems sleeping are all indications to check for if you're worried you're having trouble.

Another downside is the financial impact. Because training is typically seen as a luxury in most firms, it is doubtful that it will be made available to all managers. Those who have been taught may be dispersed among many departments, which might hurt their mental health.

Mental Health First Aid Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Gain From MHFA?

You'll begin to see mental health in a new light if you invest time and money in mental health first aid. It will not only help you better understand persons with mental health issues, but it will also help you better understand yourself.

High-quality training provides you with relevant knowledge and abilities that not only enhance your professional and personal profile but also encourages your colleagues to do the same.

Why Should Mental Health Be Treated As Equal To Physical Health?

If you're reading this, you're probably aware that mental illness affects just as many people as physical illness. In 2018, 16 million people in the United Kingdom were diagnosed with mental illness, accounting for one in every four persons.

Supporting people who are dealing with a mental health problem helps to de-stigmatize the problem at work and home. Due to expense, societal pressure, and accessibility, delayed help can come from a lack of training and understanding at work.

What Does a Mental Health First Aider Do?

Many managers believe they are responsible for their employees' well-being, yet they lack the necessary training. Anyone who manages people should be trained in mental health first aid, regardless of the size of the company.

A workplace mental health first aider is the person to go to if someone in the office is suffering from mental illness. Any interactions including the individual who is struggling will need to be accompanied by a mental health first aider to help them get through this difficult time.

Are Mental Health First Aiders Mandatory?

Even though many organizations believe it is critical to their performance, mental health first responders are not required in the workplace. As a show of goodwill, most employers now provide mental health help to their employees.

Please contact us if you'd like to learn more about the MHFA training we offer at Everymind at Work for your company.