Mental health difficulties are common, but knowing what to say when someone is struggling does not always come naturally. Mental Health First Aid gives people a clearer, more practical way to respond.
Noticing that somebody seems different, withdrawn or more distressed than usual can leave people wondering whether to ask, what to say or where their responsibility ends.
Mental Health First Aid is not about becoming a therapist, counsellor or mental health professional. It is about recognising when somebody may need support, approaching them with greater confidence and helping them towards appropriate further help where needed.
A Mental Health First Aider can recognise when someone may be experiencing mental health difficulties, approach them with greater confidence, listen without judgement and help them consider appropriate support.
The aim is not to have every answer. It is to feel better equipped to make a useful first response and understand where the boundaries of the role sit.
Mental Health First Aid is about making a useful first response. It does not make somebody a therapist, counsellor or mental health professional.
One of the hardest parts of supporting somebody can simply be knowing how to begin.
Explore a range of mental health difficulties and some of the signs that may suggest somebody is struggling.
Develop ways of listening, asking appropriate questions and giving somebody space to talk.
Consider how misconceptions and stigma can make mental health harder to talk about and discourage people from seeking support.
The skills can be relevant anywhere people spend time together.
Provide an approachable first point of contact for a colleague who may be struggling and help create greater confidence around conversations about mental health.
Recognise concerns, listen and know where to direct somebody for further help.
Give volunteers, staff and community members practical ways to respond when somebody chooses to talk about what they are experiencing.
Listening, recognising when somebody may be struggling and knowing how to approach a difficult conversation can also be useful beyond work.
Quite often, the barrier to a mental health conversation is not a lack of concern. It is uncertainty.
People may worry about saying the wrong thing or assume somebody else is better qualified to ask. A clearer understanding of the role can make it easier to recognise what a useful first response looks like — and when the right next step is further or professional support.
Tell us a little about your group and what you’re looking for. We can talk through whether this course is the right fit and the practical arrangements.
