Evaluation of participant reluctance, confidence, and self-reported behaviors since being trained in a pharmacy Mental Health First Aid initiative

Abstract

In the U.S., an estimated one in five individuals experience a mental illness annually which contribute to significant human and economic cost. Pharmacists serving in a public health capacity are positioned to provide first aid level intervention to people experiencing a mental health crisis. Research on pharmacy professionals (pharmacists, technicians, students) undergoing training in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) can provide evidence of the potential benefits of such training. The objectives of this study were to 1) describe the reluctance and confidence to intervene in mental health crises of pharmacy professionals previously trained in MHFA, 2) describe their self-reported use of MHFA behaviors since becoming trained, and 3) describe participant open-ended feedback on their MHFA training. Materials and methods: An electronic survey was disseminated in May and June, 2019 using a four-email sequence to pharmacy professionals who had completed MHFA training from one of five pharmacist MHFA trainers throughout 2018. Domains included demographics, six Likerttype reluctance items, seven Likert-type confidence items for performing MHFA skills, and frequency of using a set of nine MHFA skills since being trained. Prompts collected openended feedback related to MHFA experiences and training. Descriptive statistics were used for scaled and multiple-choice items and a basic content analysis was performed on the open-ended items to group them into similar topics. Results: Ninety-eight out of 227 participants responded to the survey yielding a response rate of 44%. Participants reported high levels of disagreement to a set of reluctance items for intervening and overall high levels of confidence in performing a range of MHFA skills. Participant self-reported use of a set of MHFA skills ranged from 19% to 82% since being trained in MHFA. Almost half (44%) of participants had asked someone if they were considering suicide. A majority (61%) also had referred someone to resources because of a mental health crisis. Open-ended responses included positive experiences alongside important challenges to using MHFA in practice and recommendations including additional training focused on the pharmacy setting.

UK and Ireland survey of MPharm student and staff experiences of mental health curricula, with a focus on Mental Health First Aid

“…Students who participated in MHFA reported a greater level of preparedness than those who did not, consistent with a recent evaluation of MHFA training involving pharmacists, technicians and students in the USA [ 26 ]. In the 12 identified studies of MHFA training of university students of all disciplines, the majority of evaluations were of participants’ self-reported measures [ 9 ].…”

A qualitative exploration of mental health services provided in community pharmacies

“…Specifically, the importance of training to address stigmatising beliefs and stereotypes has been highlighted [ 49 ]. Indeed, mental health training has been shown to impact pharmacists’ confidence positively [ 50 , 51 ]. Particularly in a study participants indicated comfortability discussing mental illness with community pharmacists trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), revealing an opportunity for pharmacists to expand access to mental health services by being trained in MHFA and counselling about mental illness [ 52 ].…”

“…However, the standard face-to-face MHFA course seems to be still the most common version used by pharmacists [ 67 ]. Pharmacists’ [ 68 ] and pharmacy students’ skills after receiving MHFA training have been assessed in the literature (e.g., by using simulated consumer scenarios) [ 50 ] and have demonstrated the positive influence of training on pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and confidence [ 50 , 51 , 68 ].…”

Pharmacists’ roles in mental healthcare: Past, present and future

“…47 Studies from the United States, Australia and Canada have demonstrated that pharmacists frequently interact with people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviours, with evidence from Australia and Canada indicating that up to 85% of pharmacists have cared for a person at risk of suicide at least once and approximately 10% of pharmacists have done so more than 10 times. [49][50][51] However, pharmacy-based reports such as those published by the International Pharmaceutical Federation, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the United Kingdom's Royal Pharmaceutical Society between 2013-2018, fail to clearly articulate pharmacists' roles in this area. [2][3][4] Means restriction, including limiting access to medications, is identified as an important intervention in the approach to suicide prevention and approximately one in five pharmacists have reported being asked about lethal doses by consumers.…”