Mental Health First Aid is an educational course which teaches people how to identify, understand and help a person who may be developing a mental health problem. In the same way as we learn physical first aid, mental health first aid teaches you how to recognise those crucial warning signs of mental ill health.

Developed in Australia in 2000 and now internationally recognised in twenty one countries, the MHFA course teaches people how to recognise the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, provide help on a first aid basis and effectively guide those towards the right support services. To date, there are over 700 instructors in England who have delivered the MHFA course to over 70,000 people.

Who is it for?

• SOCIAL CARE PROFESSIONAL
• AMBULANCE STAFF
• FAMILY MEMBER
• FOSTER PARENT
• SCHOOL TEACHER

Mental ill health can affect every single one of us. There is widespread ignorance of mental ill health in the general population and there is the associated stigma too. For some the stigma can lead to delays in people seeking help and support. There is also a lack of confidence in what to do if someone is distressed or in a crisis situation.

In any one year, approximately 1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem.

Mental ill health costs UK employers an estimated £26 billion, which equates to an average of over £1,000 per employee.

By learning to recognise the signs that someone may be unwell, you may be able to provide initial help, to guide a person towards appropriate professional help, and in its most powerful form, save a life by learning basic suicide intervention skills.

To find out more about Mental First Aid courses go to http://mhfaengland.org/getting-started/find-your-course/