Mental health has been brought to the forefront of conversations over the past few years. 1 in 4 of us is likely to experience a mental health problem each year, and it’s no surprise that this can impact our ability to work.
Several factors can contribute to poor mental health in the workplace, most of which only lead to further stress if left unaddressed. Mental ill-health is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, accounting for 23% of the overall burden of disease and approximately £105 billion in economic and social costs, lost productivity at work and reduced quality of life.
MHFAiders® give employees someone to turn to when they’re struggling with their mental health. Businesses need to ensure that they’re looking after the mental health of their staff, both for employee wellbeing and business success.
You can arrange a Mental Health First Aider® training course for yourself or a member of your team with Westfield Health today. We offer various courses to suit your organisation’s needs and experience levels. Take our MHFA quiz for us to match your knowledge, awareness and desired skills to one of our courses.
Get your Mental Health First Aid training quote.
What is Mental Health First Aid training?
A Mental Health First Aider® training course is the mental equivalent to physical first aid. It’s designed to raise awareness of mental health and reduce the stigma that can often surround mental health issues.
The course equips people with the knowledge and confidence to support someone who is experiencing mental distress.
What are Mental Health First Aiders® trained to do?
The role of a Mental Health First Aider in the workplace is to be a point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation to supporting them to get appropriate help. They are not trained to be therapists, psychiatrists or counsellors, but they can offer initial support through non-judgemental listening and guidance.
The main responsibilities of a Mental Health First Aider are:
- Spot the early signs and symptoms of mental ill-health.
- Start a supportive conversation with a colleague who may be experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress.
- Listen to the person non-judgmentally.
- Assess the risk of suicide or self-harm.
- Encourage the person to access appropriate professional support or self-help strategies.
- Escalate to the appropriate emergency services if necessary.
- Maintain confidentiality as appropriate.
- Complete critical incident documents as and when necessary.
- Protect themselves while performing their role.
Benefits of Mental Health First Aid at Work
Training people in mental health awareness and skills to deal with mental health issues at work helps to build an open and supportive culture around mental health. It allows employees to go to someone in the workplace if they don’t feel comfortable talking to their manager about their mental health.
There are numerous benefits for employers and employees in having access to a mental health first aider at work. For example:
Benefits for employees:
- Early intervention: Mental health first aid training brings employee empowerment into the heart of your organisation for employees. MHFA trained team members can identify and proactively intervene at the early signs of a colleague struggling with their mental health. This early intervention aims to support employees before they feel overwhelmed.
- Reducing mental health stigma: In recent years, there has been huge progress in minimising the stigma around mental health in our society. However, the presence of mental health first aiders in an organisation positively contributes to creating an open environment where employees can be open regarding their mental health.
- Nurturing employee wellness: Openly investing in mental health training helps to shape a company culture that prioritises the long-term protection of employee wellbeing and wellness. Not only does this support your current employees, but it builds a positive reputation for future potential team members.
Benefits for employers:
- Cultivating a productive and accurate workforce: Research by MHFA England suggests that 15% say they have made preventable mistakes because they felt unsafe speaking up. By introducing safe and appropriately trained mental halth first aiders into a workforce, employers are encouraged to share concerns and uncertainties that can improve productivity and reduce mistakes.
- Minimising employee conflict: Appropriate MHFA training in your team can actively reduce conflict by addressing the underlying stress, emotional distress, and communication breakdowns that often trigger arguments in the workplace.
- Real-terms cost saving: investment in MHFA training goes further than cultivating a wellbeing strategy for your team. It also offers a financial benefit, reducing costs through reduced absenteeism and future recruitment costs caused by higher turnover rates.
If you are looking to understand how training a mental health first aider in your workplace could benefit you, don’t take our word for it. We asked some of our own MHFAiders® about what it means to them and why having dedicated MHFAiders® within the workplace is so important.
How can I book a Mental Health First Aid course?
At Westfield Health, we offer this training for businesses looking to have qualified mental health first aiders within their company. The course is internationally recognised and has been developed by the Department of Health and Mental Health First Aid England. We also offer a Certified MHFAider® Refresher Course and Certified MHFAider® Aware course.
You can find out more about the courses we offer by visiting our Mental Health First Aid Training Course page. This page includes a handy tool to help you decide which course is right for you or your people, based on your job role and depth of knowledge.
If you have any questions or are looking to book your space, please call us on 0345 602 1629 or email [email protected].