Mental Health First Aid as a tool for improving mental health and well-being

Richardson, Rachel; Dale, Holly Eve; Wellby, George; McMillan, Dean; Churchill, Rachel

doi:10.1002/14651858.cd013127

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that mental health first aid can improve mental health literacy and facilitate appropriate support for people with mental health problems [ 53 ], suggesting that populations at risk from flooding would benefit from the roll out of such programmes. However, formal evaluation of mental health first aid is scarce and more robust assessments are needed to help make evidence-based decisions about its potential effectiveness and implementation [ 54 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK

Cruz

White

Bell

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity as a consequence of climate change and pose a significant threat to population mental health. This is the case even in temperate regions such as the United Kingdom (UK) where flooding and heat waves are forecast to become more common. We conducted a systematic review to quantify the prevalence and describe the causes of common mental health problems in populations exposed to extreme weather events in the UK. We searched Web of Science, EMBASE and PsycINFO for studies that measured the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in populations exposed to extreme weather events in the UK, published up to 12 December 2019. We included 17 studies, four of which were included in meta-analyses to determine the point prevalence of common mental health problems in the period within 12 months following extreme weather events. The point prevalence was 19.8% for anxiety (k = 4; n = 1458; 95% CI 7.42 to 32.15), 21.35% for depression (k = 4; n = 1458; 95% CI 9.04 to 33.65) and 30.36% for PTSD (k = 4; n = 1359; 95% CI 11.68 to 49.05). Key factors that affected mental ill health in people exposed to flooding were water depth and absence of flood warnings. Displacement from home underscored the narratives associated with people’s perceptions of the impact of flooding. The high prevalence of common mental health problems suggests that the prevention of mental ill health in populations at risk or exposed to extreme weather events should be a UK public health priority.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK

Cruz

White

Bell

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…Few studies have investigated outcomes more than 6 months after training, so the longevity of the above effects is unclear. Furthermore, recent reviews [7,11,12] have highlighted that there is weak evidence supporting improved mental health first aid behavior, and few studies have investigated the effects upon the recipient of mental health first aid, rather than trainees. These effects include perceived support from the first aider, mental health service use, and improvements in mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid training: randomized controlled trial with 3-year follow-up

et al. 2020

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Background Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training teaches community members how to provide initial support to someone with a mental health problem. Key gaps in the evidence base supporting the training are the longevity of effects beyond 6 months, effects on mental health first aid behavior, and the impact of support on the recipient of aid. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Youth MHFA course 3 years after training. Methods 384 Australian parents of an adolescent aged 12–15 were randomized to receive either the 14-h Youth MHFA course or the 15-h Australian Red Cross Provide First Aid course. This paper reports outcomes at baseline and 3 years later. Primary outcomes were cases of adolescent mental health problems, and parental support towards their adolescent if they developed a mental health problem, rated by the parent and adolescent. Secondary outcomes included parent knowledge about youth mental health problems, intentions and confidence in supporting a young person, stigmatizing attitudes, and help-seeking for mental health problems. Data were analyzed with mixed-effects models with group by measurement occasion interactions. Results 3-year follow-up data was obtained from 149 parents and 118 adolescents, who were aged 16.5 years on average. Between baseline and 3-year follow-up, there was a non-significant reduction in adolescent cases of mental health problems relative to the control group (odds ratios (OR) 0.16–0.17), a non-significant improvement in parental support reported by adolescents with a mental health problem (OR 2.80–4.31), and a non-significant improvement in the quality of support that parents reported providing to their adolescents with a mental health problem (d = 0.38). Secondary outcomes that showed significant improvements relative to the control group were parental knowledge about youth mental health problems (d = 0.31) and adolescent perceptions of general social support from their parents (d = 0.35). Conclusions This paper reports on the longest follow-up of Mental Health First Aid training in a controlled trial. Three years after training, participants had maintained their improved knowledge about mental health problems. There were some indications of other positive effects, but the study was underpowered to clearly show benefits to mental health first aid skills and recipients of aid. Trial registration ACTRN12612000390886, registered retrospectively 5/4/2012, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=347502

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“…Filipino cultural concepts that pervade participants’ understanding of mental health and ‘ginhawa’ (well-being) were integrated into the MHL program as an explanatory framework for mental health in addition to the WHO definition [ 50 ] (Table 2 ). For instance, Filipino migrant domestic workers’ beliefs on the dichotomy of mental health (e.g., soundness of mind) and illness (e.g., having a ‘troubled mind’) were integrated with the explanations on the spectrum of mental well-being [ 59 ]. Because mental health issues are believed to be caused by difficult and challenging life experiences, their preferred sources of help are informal networks of friends and relatives who can provide adequate social support [ 37 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘C’mon, let’s talk: a pilot study of mental health literacy program for Filipino migrant domestic workers in the United Kingdom

Martínez

Lau

Morillo

et al. 2022

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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Purpose This pilot study of a culturally adapted online mental health literacy (MHL) program called ‘Tara, Usap Tayo!’ (C’mon, Let’s Talk) aims to assess the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and potential effectiveness in improving the help-seeking behavior of Filipino migrant domestic workers in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods Using mixed methods, we conducted a non-randomized single-group study of the online MHL program with 21 participants. The development of this intervention was guided by the Medical Research Council Framework for developing complex interventions and utilized Heim & Kohrt’s (2019) framework for cultural adaptation. Content materials from the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP), WHO Problem Management Plus (PM +) and Adult Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) were modified and translated into the Filipino language. The MHL program was delivered online in three sessions for two hours each session. Data were collected at three time points: (T1) pretest; (T2) posttest; and (3) follow-up test. Quantitative data on participants’ attitudes towards help-seeking and level of mental health literacy as outcome measures of potential intervention effectiveness were collected at T1, T2 and T3, while focus group discussions (FGDs) to assess participants’ feedback on the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of the online MHL program were conducted immediately at T2. Data analysis was done using a thematic approach for qualitative data from the FGDs and descriptive statistics and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to assess the difference in the T1, T2, and T3 tests. Both quantitative and qualitative results were then integrated and triangulated to answer the research questions. Results The online MHL program is generally acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for use among Filipino migrant domestic workers. Preliminary findings lend support for its possible effectiveness in improving mental health literacy and help-seeking propensity. The cultural adaptation made in the content, form, and delivery methods of the intervention was acceptable and feasible for this target subcultural group. Conclusion By improving their mental health literacy and help-seeking propensity, this online MHL program has the potential to provide support to the mental health and well-being of Filipino migrant domestic workers in the UK. Further feasibility study or large-scale randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm the preliminary findings of this study.

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Mental Health First Aid as a tool for improving mental health and well-being

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK

Effect of Extreme Weather Events on Mental Health: A Narrative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis for the UK

Long-term effects of Youth Mental Health First Aid training: randomized controlled trial with 3-year follow-up

‘C’mon, let’s talk: a pilot study of mental health literacy program for Filipino migrant domestic workers in the United Kingdom

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