Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training Among Student Affairs Staff at a Canadian University

Massey, Jennifer; Brooks, Meghan; Burrow, Jeff

doi:10.1515/jsarp-2014-0032

Cited by 26 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In contrast, the current review showed that attitudinal change is not required to achieve behavioral change. In line with prior research [ 47 , 55 ], three studies found that knowledge might directly trigger a behavior under certain conditions, even without any attitudinal change [ 40 , 43 , 45 ]. However, further research into how anti-stigma interventions change or affect each of the three dimensions of stigma is required to fully understand the stigmatization process.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…All types of anti-stigma interventions in 11 studies (three rated as of high quality) consistently had a significant positive impact on employees’ supportive behavior [ 36 , 38 , 40 – 43 , 45 , 46 , 49 , 50 ] with the exception of one study [ 47 ], which reported a marginally significant effect. More specifically, this involved, for example, perceived confidence and self-efficacy in identifying and dealing with a person with a mental illness, as well as the likelihood of advising people to seek professional help and readiness to provide help in mental-health situations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace: a systematic review

et al. 2016

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BackgroundThe majority of people experiencing mental-health problems do not seek help, and the stigma of mental illness is considered a major barrier to seeking appropriate treatment. More targeted interventions (e.g. at the workplace) seem to be a promising and necessary supplement to public campaigns, but little is known about their effectiveness. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of the evidence on the effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace.MethodsSixteen studies were included after the literature review. The effectiveness of anti-stigma interventions at the workplace was assessed by examining changes in: (1) knowledge of mental disorders and their treatment and recognition of signs/symptoms of mental illness, (2) attitudes towards people with mental-health problems, and (3) supportive behavior.ResultsThe results indicate that anti-stigma interventions at the workplace can lead to improved employee knowledge and supportive behavior towards people with mental-health problems. The effects of interventions on employees’ attitudes were mixed, but generally positive. The quality of evidence varied across studies.ConclusionsThis highlights the need for more rigorous, higher-quality evaluations conducted with more diverse samples of the working population. Future research should explore to what extent changes in employees’ knowledge, attitudes, and supportive behavior lead to affected individuals seeking help earlier. Such investigations are likely to inform important stakeholders about the potential benefits of current workplace anti-stigma interventions and provide guidance for the development and implementation of effective future interventions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-015-0706-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace: a systematic review

et al. 2016

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“…A final 18 studies were included in the review, with a total of 5936 participants [ 13 – 22 , 42 – 49 ]. Only 6 of these were included in the prior review of MHFA [ 13 , 17 – 19 , 45 , 48 ], with 12 additional controlled trials identified. Study characteristics are detailed in Table 1 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Effects beyond 6 months were small in size ( d = 0.21). There were two outlier studies at 6-month follow-up [ 44 , 45 ]; removing these only slightly reduced the pooled effect size to d = 0.43 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.57). Results were robust to researcher allegiance, with very similar effects at post ( d = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.00, k = 4) and < = 6-month follow-up ( d = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.68, k = 8).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behaviour

2018

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ObjectiveTo provide an up-to-date assessment of the effectiveness of the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program on improving mental health knowledge, stigma and helping behaviour.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic search of electronic databases was conducted in October 2017 to identify randomised controlled trials or controlled trials of the MHFA program. Eligible trials were in adults, used any comparison condition, and assessed one or more of the following outcomes: mental health first aid knowledge; recognition of mental disorders; treatment knowledge; stigma and social distance; confidence in or intentions to provide mental health first aid; provision of mental health first aid; mental health of trainees or recipients of mental health first aid. Risk of bias was assessed and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were pooled using a random effects model. Separate meta-analyses examined effects at post-training, up to 6 months post-training, and greater than 6 months post-training.ResultsA total of 18 trials (5936 participants) were included. Overall, effects were generally small-to-moderate post-training and up to 6 months later, with effects up to 12-months later unclear. MHFA training led to improved mental health first aid knowledge (ds 0.31–0.72), recognition of mental disorders (ds 0.22–0.52) and beliefs about effective treatments (ds 0.19–0.45). There were also small reductions in stigma (ds 0.08–0.14). Improvements were also observed in confidence in helping a person with a mental health problem (ds 0.21–0.58) and intentions to provide first aid (ds 0.26–0.75). There were small improvements in the amount of help provided to a person with a mental health problem at follow-up (d = 0.23) but changes in the quality of behaviours offered were unclear.ConclusionThis review supports the effectiveness of MHFA training in improving mental health literacy and appropriate support for those with mental health problems up to 6 months after training.Trial registrationPROSPERO (CRD42017060596)

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“…Currently, there is limited research on knowledge gained, confidence and application of MHFA in a tertiary setting. Previous studies have focused on sub-populations or specific tertiary student cohorts (Bond et al, 2015;Burns et al, 2017;Crawford et al, 2015;Massey, Brooks, & Burrow, 2014;O'Reilly et al, 2011). In addition, very few studies have provided data on participants' subsequent experiences in providing first aid post-training.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid skills in an Australian university population

Ashoorian

Albrecht

Baxter

et al. 2018

Early Intervention Psych

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Aim: University students have high rates of mental health problems; however, most delay or fail to seek help altogether. Tertiary settings can offer educational and social programmes to increase mental health awareness and in turn increase the number of students seeking help for their problems. This study aimed to explore students' and staffs' knowledge of mental health issues, confidence to intervene and application of skills following Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.Methods: Students and staff at an Australian university who had completed MHFA training in the previous 24 months were invited to complete a validated online questionnaire.Results: Of the 566 eligible participants, 107 (19%) completed the questionnaire. The majority (65%) had applied their skills to someone in need, with the highest number applying it to students. Notably, of those who had applied their skills 23 participants (33%) had applied them in a crisis situation, the most common being panic attacks followed by suicidal thoughts. Although most (98%) applied their skills in a face-to-face capacity, 53% also reported assisting someone via electronic mediums and social media. The mean score for the literacy test was considered high, 12/16 (SD = 1.7) for students and 13/16 (SD = 2.5) for staff. The majority (94%) reported more confidence in providing support following training.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that MHFA training on a university campus is associated with a high level of knowledge, confidence to intervene and apply MHFA skills to assist a student or friend in need, potentially impacting their long-term health outcomes and future professional careers.

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Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training Among Student Affairs Staff at a Canadian University

Cited by 26 publications

References 15 publications

The effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace: a systematic review

The effectiveness of interventions targeting the stigma of mental illness at the workplace: a systematic review

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behaviour

Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid skills in an Australian university population

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