Mental Health First Aid training and assessment in Australian medical, nursing and pharmacy curricula: a national perspective using content analysis

Abstract

Background Suicide is among the leading causes of death among people aged 15 to 29 worldwide. Healthcare professionals interact with people at risk of suicide regularly, yet mental health and crisis first aid training is lacking in curricula. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training teaches crucial communication and crisis first aid skills and is increasingly recognised as integral to healthcare education. This study aimed to explore the extent of, as well as barriers and enablers to MHFA training delivery and assessment in Australian medical, nursing and pharmacy curricula. Methods All accredited Australian medical, nursing and pharmacy program providers were identified through Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and National Boards websites and invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. A purpose-designed interview guide explored if and how MHFA training was delivered and assessed in curricula, as well as perceptions of and barriers and enablers to MHFA training. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim, allowing for deductive content analysis to compare MHFA training provision across programs. Results Of 75 invited program providers, 36 (48%; 13 medical, 13 nursing and 10 pharmacy) participated, of which 15 representatives (42%; six medical, two nursing and six pharmacy) reported providing MHFA training to students. Differences in mandating training, year level of students completing training, type of training delivered and source of MHFA instructors were identified. Barriers to MHFA implementation included perceived adequacy of existing curricula, lack of funding and time, while facilitators included perceived benefit and availability of funding. Conclusion MHFA training is provided to more than one third of medical, nursing and pharmacy students in Australia. Increased funding may facilitate the integration of MHFA as a minimum standard of mental health training for future healthcare professionals. Further research exploring the effectiveness of MHFA in improving behaviours and its impact on patient outcomes is warranted. Trial registration This study was approved by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee [Project number: 2020/087].

[Retracted] Nursing Teaching Curriculum Setting by Introducing Postcompetency Model under the Vision of Internet Informatization

“…Pham et al [ 28 ] introduced a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for nursing students. The proposed MHFA provides necessary skills and techniques in the curriculum for nursing students.…”

Perinatal Women’s Views of Pharmacist-Delivered Perinatal Depression Screening: A Qualitative Study

“…This is consistent with previous studies demonstrating that patients’ perceptions of pharmacists’ expertise impact patient–pharmacist relationship quality, satisfaction and relationship commitment [ 47 ]. Despite the fact that an increasing number of pharmacy graduates are equipped with mental health training, whereby 90% of Australian pharmacy program providers are already providing or intending on providing MHFA training to students [ 42 ], many participants viewed pharmacists’ scope of practice as being exclusive to medications, medication safety and related advice. Studies show that factors which reduce patients’ trust in pharmacists include patients’ lack of awareness of a pharmacist’s scope of practice, professional qualification and regulation, variability in pharmacist competency, transparency in remuneration and community pharmacies’ business positioning [ 48 ].…”

“…Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The interviewer (LP) had previous experience in conducting, interpreting and analysing qualitative interviews for publication [ 42 ]. LP was also MHFA-trained and could provide support if participant distress was recognised.…”

Observed behaviours and suicide assessment language post-Mental Health First Aid training in Australia and the United States: a mixed methods study using discourse analysis

“…For example, a broad range of healthcare professionals, including all licensed pharmacists practicing in Washington, are required to complete suicide prevention training [10]. Furthermore, training programs such as Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), which was originally developed for members of the public, have been used to educate primary healthcare professionals and healthcare students in caring for people experiencing mental health problems and crises, including suicide [11][12][13]. Specifically, the MHFA training program contains a component whereby participants learn about how to apply the MHFA Action Plan to assess for suicide risk and care for a person at risk of suicide [14].…”

“…While there is a growing evidence base to support the effectiveness of MHFA training in improving selfreported constructs within student cohorts at specific universities, there is a lack of cross-cultural comparisons exploring the impact of MHFA training on student pharmacists' helping behaviour and suicide assessment skills, specifically [23,24]. Given that the MHFA training program contains specific content around how to assess and appropriately care for a person at risk of suicide, in conjunction with the increasing integration of MHFA training in pharmacy curricula, it is important to explore whether MHFA-trained student pharmacists are actually able to demonstrate these skills [12]. Having completed MHFA training, post-training, MHFAiders should be able to apply MHFA skills, including assessing and assisting people experiencing mental health crises [25].…”