Mental Health First Aid is an effective public health intervention for improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a standardized, psychoeducational programme developed to empower the public to approach, support and refer individuals in distress by improving course participants' knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to mental ill-health. The present paper aims to synthesize published evaluations of the MHFA programme in a meta-analysis to estimate its effects and potential as a public mental health awareness-increasing strategy. Fifteen relevant papers were identified through a systematic literature search. Standardized effect sizes were calculated for three different outcome measures: change in knowledge, attitudes, and helping behaviours. The results of the meta-analysis for these outcomes yielded a mean effect size of Glass's Δ = 0.56 (95% CI = 0.38 - 0.74; p < 0.001), 0.28 (95% CI = 0.22 - 0.35; p < 0.001) and 0.25 (95% CI = 0.12 - 0.38; p < 0.001), respectively. Results were homogenous, and moderator analyses suggested no systematic bias or differences in results related to study design (with or without control group) or 'publication quality' (journal impact factor). The results demonstrate that MHFA increases participants' knowledge regarding mental health, decreases their negative attitudes, and increases supportive behaviours toward individuals with mental health problems. The MHFA programme appears recommendable for public health action.

California Community College Faculty and Staff Help Address Student Mental Health Issues

“…The California Mental Health Services Authority's (CalMHSA's) student mental health initiative included a range of PEI activities, such as training students, staff, and faculty in empirically supported approaches to recognizing and supporting individuals with mental health problems (Albright et al, 2013;Hadlaczky et al, 2014) and conducting campus trainings and social media campaigns to reduce stigma around mental health issues and to motivate students, faculty, and staff to help others (Active Minds, undated). In addition, the CCC Student Mental Health Program (SMHP), a statewide PEI initiative funded by Proposition 63 to improve student mental health across all 114 CCC campuses, awarded campus-based grants to 30 CCC campuses to expand and enhance their capacity to address the mental health PEI needs of their students, faculty, and staff.…”

Enhancing mental health literacy in young people

“…Other MHL approaches, such as Mental Health First Aid, usually target the general community, and focus on symptom identification (e.g., depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia), and awareness of help-seeking resources. While these approaches may be effective for the general public in some aspects of MHL [28], they address a limited number of MHL components when applied in the school setting, with a lack of stigma-reduction strategies and absence of positive mental health approaches; without features for potential sustainability; and with a lack of capacity building component within educational systems, especially for teacher capacity building and links with the wider community.…”

Correlations Between Opinions About Mental Illness and Attitudes Towards Psychological Help Seeking for a Mental Illness Among College Students in Kenya

“…In a study of stigma and help seeking, Tucker et al [21] reported that stigmatizing opinions of mental illness predicted poor help seeking attitudes for a mental disorder among individuals. Similarly in a metaanalysis, Hadlaczky et al [22] & Clement et al [23] pointed out that improving knowledge of mental illness decreased their negative opinions about mental illness; in addition leading to an improvement of attitudes towards help seeking.…”