Youth Mental Health First Aid (Y-MHFA) Trainings for Educators: A Systematic Review

Sanchez, Alexis; Latimer, Joseph; Scarimbolo, Katrina; Embse, Nathaniel P. von der; Suldo, Shannon M.; Salvatore, Chelsea

doi:10.1007/s12310-020-09393-8

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Participants asked for more cultural consideration in YMHFA in order to serve CLD youth, which is consistent with Sánchez’s review showing that some mental health first aiders “felt difficulty with referring diverse youth” at the follow-up data collection (Sánchez et al, 2021, p. 9). These qualitative insights may be a potential reason why intentions to engage in MHFA behaviors were not maintained at the 3-month follow-up, suggesting further cultural adaptation and booster sessions are needed.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…Available research has suggested that MHFA improves participants’ mental health literacy, attitudes about helping behaviors, intention to offer support, and confidence in supporting youth (Aakre et al, 2016; Childs et al, 2020; Gryglewicz et al, 2018; Hadlaczky et al, 2014; Sánchez et al, 2021). However, there have been mixed findings regarding mental health stigma.…”

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One critique is that participants were not learning about diverse youth although more than 50% of youth in U.S. public schools are students of color (Goldenberg, 2014). Further, at follow-up, some mental health first aiders experienced “difficulty with referring diverse youth” (Sánchez et al, 2021, p. 9). Taken together, additional research is needed to identify the impact of adapting the program for diverse populations, and to determine whether YMHFA enhances classroom educators’ first aid behaviors to support students’ mental health over time.…”

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, few studies have examined the application of YMHFA to diverse audiences (with the exception of Wang et al, 2022, who adapted YMHFA for Asian Americans). In a recent review of YMHFA, Sánchez et al (2021) concluded that there is a need for more diversity and cultural considerations in YMHFA delivery and research. One critique is that participants were not learning about diverse youth although more than 50% of youth in U.S. public schools are students of color (Goldenberg, 2014).…”

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Youth mental health first aid training with diverse educators.

Ross¹,

Wang²,

Liu³

2023

Psychological Services

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Schools are the most likely place for students to receive formal or informal mental health services and support. Classroom educators often provide informal mental health support to students and referrals to school-based services. Despite their key role, educators often feel underprepared in recognizing concerning symptoms in youth and supporting student mental health. This mixed-methods study explored the effectiveness of in-person Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training on a diverse sample of 106 educators (Mage = 22, SD = 1.9 years, 96% ethnic minorities): City Year AmeriCorps members who work in diverse low-income schools in Florida. We culturally adapted the program to better meet the needs of the participants and the students they serve as over 95% of the students they served were people of color. Quantitative survey data were collected at three time points (pre, post, and 3 months after the training) to examine whether YMHFA training better equipped classroom educators to support students’ mental health. Overall, training was associated with improvements in mental health literacy, knowledge of school-based mental health providers, confidence, and intentions to engage in mental health first aid (MHFA) behaviors. Notably, educators reported greater engagement in mental health first aid behaviors at the 3-month follow-up than before training. No improvement in mental health stigma was observed. Some improvements (i.e., mental health literacy, intentions to help) were not sustained at the follow-up. Qualitative data generally supported quantitative findings and suggested that the YMHFA program with cultural consideration is suitable for this diverse sample of classroom educators. Educators’ suggestions to improve the training to support culturally and linguistically diverse students’ mental health are discussed.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Youth Mental Health First Aid In Schools and With Diverse Po...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Youth mental health first aid training with diverse educators.

Ross¹,

Wang²,

Liu³

2023

Psychological Services

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The MHFA program has been shown to improve mental health knowledge, reduce stigmatizing attitudes, and enhance confidence and actual engagement in helping behaviors among trainees in adult and youth courses (Hadlaczky et al, 2014;Morgan, Ross, and Reavley, 2018;Ng et al, 2021;Sánchez et al, 2021). However, these improvements have been mostly demonstrated during the period immediately after training and up to six months afterward (Morgan, Ross, and Reavley, 2018).…”

Section: Figuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid in New York City

2023

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An estimated 9 percent of adults in New York City (NYC) had major depression in 2016, and about 20 percent are likely have a mental health challenge in any given year. Furthermore, more than 40 percent of adults with serious mental illness either experience delays accessing needed mental health treatment or never receive it at all. To address these documented unmet mental health needs, the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH) brought together city agencies, nonprofits, and community-based organizations in 2015 to support the mental health of all New Yorkers through 54 priority initiatives. One of these initiatives involved the provision of in-person Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings, first to staff at city agencies and community-based organizations and eventually to all New Yorkers citywide-free of charge.Citywide MHFA trainings under OCMH were launched in 2016 and continued until early March 2020 when most of the city experienced shutdowns due to coronavirus pandemic safety precautions. At the time of the shutdowns, planning for a full-scale evaluation of the impact of the MHFA trainings was underway but had not yet been launched. Once the evaluation could be adjusted to current circumstances by April 2021, it resumed in the form of a mixed-methods study that included a web-based survey of past trainees and a series of focus groups to assess the impact of the MHFA trainings and needs for continued training in the future. This report describes the evaluation activities that took place; the methods behind them; and the results at the individual, agency, and community levels. It also offers recommendations for ways to improve future mental health education efforts. This study was sponsored by the Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity. Social and Behavioral Policy ProgramRAND Social and Economic Well-Being is a division of the RAND Corporation that seeks to actively improve the health and social and economic well-being of populations and communities throughout the world. This research was conducted in the Social and Behavioral Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being. The program focuses on such topics as risk factors and prevention programs, social safety net programs and other social supports, poverty, aging, disability, child and youth health and well-being, and quality of life, as well as other policy concerns that are influenced by social and behavioral actions and systems that affect wellbeing. For more information, email

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