How Parents Can Learn Mental Health First Aid (and Why You Should)
You may have learned how to use an EpiPen when your child was diagnosed with a food allergy; you were trained in CPR before the baby was born; and you have first aid supplies hidden in your car, office and home. Injuries and accidents are inevitable in life, and we want to be prepared.
But the reality is that one in five young people and teenagers suffer from a mental illness, so shouldn’t parents be prepared to provide first aid for mental health issues too? Now you can learn the skills to recognize the signs of a problem and help your child find appropriate professional help if he or she needs it. If you’ve ever tried to help someone through a mental health crisis, you know how scary and helpless you can feel—so why not empower yourself now in case your child faces a crisis in the future?
What is Mental Health First Aid?
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is training to help those who are in a mental health crisis or just beginning to experience mental health problems. This type of training can be especially helpful for parents and people who work with children, such as teachers and coaches.
You can choose a course to help adults with mental health problems or a course specifically designed to help teenagers aged 12–18 years. In both cases, you can choose between in-person training (if available in your region), blended in-person training (with a virtual and live component), or an all-virtual course.
What will you learn
The one-day MFHA course typically takes six to eight hours to complete and covers discussion topics, exercises, and opportunities to practice your new skills.
The MFHA youth training course emphasizes early intervention because 75 percent of mental illnesses begin by the time a person is in their 20s.
Mental Health First Aid is based on a five-step action plan called ALGEE:
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Assessing the risk of suicide or harm.
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Listen without judgment.
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Provide confidence and information.
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Encourage appropriate professional help.
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Encourage self-help and other support strategies.
You’ll also learn the warning signs and risk factors for mental health problems such as eating disorders, ADHD, depression, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance abuse. During the training, you will learn about treatment options and self-help strategies so that you can share these options with the person you are helping. You can support young people in the following situations:
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Panic attacks
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Suicidal thoughts or behavior
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Non-suicidal self-harm
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Hallucinations or delusions
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Overdose or withdrawal of substances
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Traumatic event
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Bullying
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Problems in social networks
In addition to learning from the course materials and lectures, you will have the opportunity to practice through role-playing games.
Benefits for parents
Any teen can experience one of the mental health scenarios listed above, and many parents may not know where to begin to support them. You may feel powerless to tell your child to “calm down” or “cheer up” and see no improvement in their mental state. MHFA training will teach you to assess symptoms, initiate conversations, and seek professional help.
While the goal is to teach you how to help those struggling with their mental health, a nice added benefit is that your mental health literacy will improve as well. Research shows that MHFA training improves the mental health of both the trainee and the person they support.
Other benefits of MHFA training:
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Reducing stigma around mental illness and substance use
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Increased empathy
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More confidence to help someone in trouble
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Learning tools to support your own mental health
How to find an MHFA course
Follow this link to find the mental health first aid training option that’s right for you. Filter courses by location, date, language, and in-person or virtual. The course usually lasts one day and can cost $50-$100.