Mental Health First Aid to Help Someone with Mental Illness

Every 40 seconds somebody somewhere in the world dies by suicide. Mental health is an essential part of overall well-being, yet many people often overlook or misinterpret its importance.  Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, background, or social status. That’s where Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) comes into play.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a potentially lifesaving skill that we all need to have. While you might have a fair bit of idea about First Aid or Emergency First Aid; you may be less familiar with Mental Health First Aid and how you can use this to provide mental health support. MHFA takes a proactive approach by addressing the mental health crisis as it’s happening instead of reacting to it later.

What is Mental Health First Aid?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognized course designed to teach people how to identify and respond to signs of mental health crises and substance use disorders. The course trains individuals to provide initial support to someone who may be experiencing a mental health problem or a crisis. Similar to traditional first aid, MHFA empowers everyday people—whether they are teachers, parents, managers, or community members—to offer assistance and guide individuals toward professional help.

This proactive approach equips individuals with the tools to recognize, understand, and respond to mental health crises and challenges in a manner that helps the sufferer.  The purpose of MHFA is to assist the sufferer as much as possible until help arrives or the crisis resolves. Those trained in MHFA can apply their skills to help people encountering any of these challenges:

• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
• Depression and mood disorders
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Drug and alcohol overdose or withdrawal
• Non-suicidal self-harm or self-injury
• Eating disorders
• Acute psychosis, delusional behavior, and hallucinations
• Aggressive behaviors
• Acute shock or other reactions to traumatic events

The aim is to reduce stigma and create supportive environments where people can talk openly about mental health. Many people who suffer from psychological and mental distress, personal crises and mental disorders can benefit from receiving psychological and mental health first aid from professionals and the general public.

Who should learn Mental Health First Aid?

Mental Health First Aid is for everyone. MHFA skills can be learned by anyone and should be considered as important as physical first aid because if someone has a heart attack, the chances are you will know what to do and how to give CPR. But, if someone has a panic attack, the chances are you won’t. Anyone can benefit from the skills and knowledge provided by this course. While MHFA is especially useful for individuals in positions of responsibility—such as teachers, employers, parents, coaches, and community leaders—it is also valuable for anyone who wants to contribute to a supportive and mentally healthy society.

However, mental health first aid doesn’t teach you to be a psychiatrist or counsellor. A mental health first aider’s role is to support and guide a person to seek appropriate professional help.

Everyone should learn MHFA as it helps significantly in increasing the mental health literacy among public, reduce stigma and bring about positive behavior towards early help seeking.

Mental Health First Aid skills

Mental health first aid skills, just like physical first aid skills, are taught by qualified trainers. They help to learn you, how to engage effectively with someone who is experiencing mental health problem. Mental health first aid skills can be applied anytime, anywhere, and to anyone in need.

A skilled MHFAider is able to have a confident and effective conversation about mental health, with a family member, friend or colleague and encourage them to seek the help they may need. Best-practice MHFA guidelines include Mental Health First Aid Action Plan, with the acronym ALGEE.

The ALGEE Model: A Step-by-Step Guide

ALGEE model comprises following

• Assess risk;
• Listen non-judgmentally;
• Give reassurance and information;
• Encourage professional help; and
• Encourage informal support.

Each of these steps is essential to providing effective mental health first aid, ensuring that the individual in distress feels supported and guided toward appropriate resources. Let’s break down each component:

Assess risk

When addressing a mental health crisis, before anything else, a MHFAider must assess the situation to understand the severity of the individual’s mental health concerns. This step involves evaluating any immediate risks to the person’s safety, such as thoughts of self-harm or potential suicidal actions. Other significant symptoms of mental health disorders are also need be observed. These might include:

• Threatening to kill self or talking about it
• Seeking out means to kill or harm self
• Aggressiveness in conversation, behavior and actions
• Acting irresponsibly or engaging in dangerous activities
• Feeling hopeless
• Emotional breakdowns
• Increased substance abuse
• Social Withdrawal
• Isolation from friends, family, or activities
• Irritability or a sudden change in mood

During this phase, it is important to stay calm, stay alert, and gather information about the person’s current emotional and mental state. Assessing risk can help determine whether immediate professional intervention or emergency services are required, ensuring that no potential danger is overlooked.

Listen Non-judgmentally

During a mental health crisis, listening to the sufferer feelings mindfully is enormously important. It is one of the most powerful tools in mental health first aid. It takes lot of skills to be a nonjudgmental listener. A MHFAider must practice active, empathetic listening, ensuring the person feels understood, respected, accepted and having a meaningful conversation.

It is essential to listen without judgment, criticism, or interrupting the person’s thoughts. Non-judgmental listening encourages open communication and helps build trust between the person in distress and the MHFAider. This can help to diffuse tension and allow the individual to express their feelings more freely, which is critical for their mental health recovery.

During the interactions your selection of words, posture and body language can make a difference to sufferer.

Give reassurance and information

After listening, it’s important to offer reassurance. People suffering a mental health crisis must be reassured that what they’re going through is not their fault. Do not blame them for their symptoms. Make them understand that situation or condition can be dealt with patience and everything is going to be ok.

Let the person know that their feelings are valid and that seeking help is a positive and important step. Giving information about mental health issues, and offering a calm and supportive presence, can help alleviate feelings of isolation or hopelessness. It’s important to share practical resources or information on where they can find professional help, without pushing them into any decision they are not ready to make.

Encourage professional help

Encouraging the person to seek professional help is a key part of the MHFAider’s role. While providing initial support is crucial, professional mental health care is often necessary for effective treatment and long-term recovery. Encourage the sufferer to seek professional help (doctor, therapist, or counselor) that could best address their unique situation. Different conditions may require different kind of experts. For an example, substance abuse withdrawal will require different assistance than suicidal actions.

The early they get the professional help, the more changes they will recover fast. It’s important to approach this conversation with empathy, being mindful of how the person may feel about professional intervention.

Encourage informal support

No one gets ready at the first point to accept that the/she is suffering from mental health issues and needs to seek professional help. You can’t force someone to do anything against his/her will. If someone isn’t ready to seek professional help, encourage him/her to conduct their own self-help.

Mindful meditation, exercise, healthy lifestyle, reading motivational content and staying with positive people are some of the things which can help them initially.

MHFAiders should also encourage the person to seek support from friends, family, or community networks. Social support plays a significant role in mental health recovery, and a strong support system can provide emotional comfort and practical assistance. Encouraging informal support helps the person feel less isolated and more connected to others who care about them.

The Importance of Mental Health First Aid

Mental Health First Aid is more than just a course—it’s a crucial skill that can make a significant difference in the lives of individuals facing mental health challenges. With mental health issues becoming increasingly common, the ability to recognize early warning signs and offer timely support is more important than ever. By learning Mental Health First Aid, individuals can play a pivotal role in creating healthier, more supportive environments for everyone. Here’s why MHFA is so important:

Raising Awareness of Mental Health Issues

Mental health awareness is at an all-time high, but there is still a significant gap in understanding the signs and symptoms of mental health issues. Mental Health First Aid teaches individuals to spot early warning signs of distress in their friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Recognizing these signs early can make a huge difference in preventing more serious mental health crises.

Reducing the Stigma Around Mental Health

For years, mental health has been surrounded by stigma. Many people feel embarrassed or ashamed to seek help for mental health challenges. MHFA aims to reduce this stigma by normalizing conversations about mental health and empowering individuals to respond in a compassionate and non-judgmental way.

Improved Workplace Mental Health

With the increasing focus on workplace well-being, mental health first aid training has proven beneficial in reducing absenteeism, improving productivity, and enhancing employee engagement. Employees trained in MHFA are better equipped to offer support to colleagues who might be struggling, leading to a healthier, more supportive work environment.

Immediate Assistance in Crisis Situations

In case of a mental health emergency, such as a panic attack or suicidal thoughts, knowing how to react appropriately can save lives. MHFA teaches individuals to provide immediate support while waiting for professional help to arrive. Learning how to stay calm, listen effectively, and respond empathetically can significantly reduce the severity of the crisis.

Creating a Supportive Community

By promoting mental health first aid, communities can foster an environment of care and understanding. Neighbors, teachers, and community leaders who are trained in MHFA can help ensure that those struggling with mental health challenges feel supported and have access to resources that can improve their well-being.

Wrapping up!

I am aware that mental health first aid is not the answer to tackling mental illness, but it’s a crucial part of it. It definitely helps to prevent the situation from getting worse for those suffering from mental health illness.

The more people are trained as MHFAiders, the more awareness there will be about the signs and symptoms of mental health issues in society – and that’s a good place to start! We are all capable of providing psychological, emotional and mental health first aid in an emergency – don’t be a bystander, be a MHFAider!

Disclaimer

It’s important to receive proper training before attempting to administer mental first aid. Anyone can not give mental health first aid. Without structured training, this may risk escalating the situation even further.