Mental Health First Aid

Domain V · Systemic, relational, group & community · Betty Kitchener, Tony Jorm · 2000 · Canberra, Australia

What it is

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is not a psychotherapy. It is a public-education and training programme that teaches lay people (and professionals outside mental health) to give initial help to an adult or young person who is developing a mental health problem, whose problem is worsening, or who is…

Format

• A. Course structure and delivery
• Standard MHFA (Australia, adults helping adults): 12 hours, currently commonly delivered blended: 5 to 7 hours of self-paced eLearning, which must be completed first, then two 2.5-hour online workshops; face-to-face delivery also exists. Learning outcomes: recognise signs and symptoms of mental…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• MHFA has two layers: the course (training structure) and the first-aid encounter (what an MHFAider does).
• Completion makes the participant an MHFAider; a short end-of-course assessment gives Accredited MHFAider status, valid 3 years; refresher courses exist for renewal.
• US Adult MHFA (National Council for Mental Wellbeing): example blended format of a 2-hour self-paced module plus a 6-hour instructor-led session; certification valid 3 years. Other US formats exist.

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Standard MHFA (Australia, adults helping adults): 12 hours, currently commonly delivered blended: 5 to 7 hours of self-paced eLearning, which must be completed first, then two 2.5-hour online workshops; face-to-face delivery also exists. Learning outcomes: recognise signs and symptoms of mental…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Does it involve intense or unusual breathing? Have you been told about the medical conditions for which that is not advised?
• Does it involve fasting, a special diet or 'detox'? Have you discussed this with your doctor?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• vague statements; treat them seriously.
• escalation, weapons, suicide risk (switch to B2 to B5).
• intoxication, recent suicide of someone close, family conflict or isolation.
• anger or feelings of betrayal; the guideline accepts this as a price of safety.
• imposing mainstream wording or help pathways. Working: community-endorsed supports are involved.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.