My partner Judy & I just completed a great 2-day mental health first aid training course. It was great in covering a lot of different angles on mental health - anxiety, depression, substance use, schizophrenia, Bipolar disorders etc. It provided common sense ways to engage others, support them effectively & refer them to the appropriate support. I’d highly recommend it.
It’s another dimension to first aid and triage which in this day and age is an important foundation skill for all
I’ve done a v similar course too - it was such an eye-opener and really helped me to understand different aspects of mental health and support. 100% agree that it should be considered part of holistic first aid.
How much of it do you think can be done online and what percentage of the content could be responsibly and effectively crammed into an hour-long or half-hour session?
I don't ask as an alternative, but perhaps a bridging solution until people can do the whole thing.
I know MHFA run hybrid courses with some online & some F2F. I found good benefits in the sharing in the F2F construct. I think sharing that lived experience is invaluable & brings so much more than just the course content alone.
I think an intro to the content in an hour would be good but would be loathe to see that as a substitute for the longer immersion. This topic is too complex to do justice to by way of sound bites.
It is. Similar to how people learn CPR in the case of an emergency/heart attack, more people need to learn the basics of mental health first aid so they can help until the experts arrive.
That's a great analogy. I think it can probably be extended to the treatment we get when we're sick. That person who knows the best cup of tea, when to take the panadol, what to eat, and how to rest, so that we're back on our feet sooner and not unknowingly doing more damage.
My partner Judy & I just completed a great 2-day mental health first aid training course. It was great in covering a lot of different angles on mental health - anxiety, depression, substance use, schizophrenia, Bipolar disorders etc. It provided common sense ways to engage others, support them effectively & refer them to the appropriate support. I’d highly recommend it.
It’s another dimension to first aid and triage which in this day and age is an important foundation skill for all
I’ve done a v similar course too - it was such an eye-opener and really helped me to understand different aspects of mental health and support. 100% agree that it should be considered part of holistic first aid.
Hey Murray,
How much of it do you think can be done online and what percentage of the content could be responsibly and effectively crammed into an hour-long or half-hour session?
I don't ask as an alternative, but perhaps a bridging solution until people can do the whole thing.
I know MHFA run hybrid courses with some online & some F2F. I found good benefits in the sharing in the F2F construct. I think sharing that lived experience is invaluable & brings so much more than just the course content alone.
I think an intro to the content in an hour would be good but would be loathe to see that as a substitute for the longer immersion. This topic is too complex to do justice to by way of sound bites.
I think all people need to learn basic psychology principles full stop, which can then be applied to help people as needed.
I tend to agree, Clare. Knowing basic psychology principles helps us understand what we or others are going through.
Always good to have more tools for more people to be there for anyone who may need just a little help all and more
100%. If it doesn't hurt and it's likely to help... why not?
It is. Similar to how people learn CPR in the case of an emergency/heart attack, more people need to learn the basics of mental health first aid so they can help until the experts arrive.
That's a great analogy. I think it can probably be extended to the treatment we get when we're sick. That person who knows the best cup of tea, when to take the panadol, what to eat, and how to rest, so that we're back on our feet sooner and not unknowingly doing more damage.