Cross-border initiative delivers ‘Mental Health First Aid’ to young people
The findings from an evaluation of an innovative pilot project, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), designed to help address the mental health problems of young people aged 16 to 25 in the border counties, were launched today in Armagh.
A cross-border collaboration between the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA), Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) and Aware Defeat Depression, which was partly funded by the European Union Peace and Reconciliation Programme (PEACE II), enabled the training, which focused on how to recognise the symptoms of a mental health problem, provide initial help and give guidance on seeking the appropriate professional help.
Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “Many of us are aware of what to do when someone needs first aid for a physical health problem such as a heart attack or a broken leg, but there is a general lack of knowledge on how to recognise or assist someone showing signs of a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or psychosis - even though as many as one in four of us experience mental health problems during our lifetime.1
“The findings from the MHFA evaluation are extremely positive and given that the programme meets several of the actions outlined in the mental health and suicide prevention strategies, we hope that this evaluation will help establish the future potential of MHFA on an all-island basis.” 2, 3
MHFA, a 12-hour training programme, was originally developed in Australia and adapted for the Scottish Executive’s national programme for improving mental health and wellbeing. Key speakers at the conference will include representatives from the Australian and Scottish MHFA programmes.
The cross-border initiative involved the training of 15 instructors who worked in pairs to deliver a programme to 234 participants from health, education, youth work, family support services, supported accommodation and voluntary organisations.
Judy Calhoun, Mental Health First Aid Co-ordinator at Aware Defeat Depression, said: “Aware Defeat Depression is committed to the development of MHFA training. We look forward to seeing it rolled out throughout Ireland, north and south.
“Aware has worked closely with CAWT and the HPA on the pilot programme and the results are particularly positive and encouraging. Today’s conference marks the beginning of a journey which will certainly make a difference to people facing mental health problems – for whatever reason.”
Anne Kilgallen, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the Western Health and Social Services Board, commented: “I am delighted to have been involved in this CAWT initiative, which came about as a result of an identified priority within our cross-border sub group to promote positive mental health among young people in the border region. The HPA and Aware Defeat Depression, with valuable financial support from the European Union, jointly implemented this pilot initiative. The results have clearly demonstrated its feasibility and we will now plan with the health services how we develop this pilot to make it more widely available.”
Summary of key findings from MHFA training:
- 97% of participants were either satisfied or very satisfied with MHFA;
- 99% said MHFA enabled them to provide support on a personal basis, ie to friends and family;
- 95% were either satisfied or very satisfied that MHFA provided them with information that would allow them to recognise the symptoms of mental illness;
- 93% were either satisfied or very satisfied with the information on how to guide a person with a potential mental illness towards professional help;
- 89% agreed that the training enabled them to provide more support to a person than they would have been able to provide prior to training;
- 79% had encountered someone experiencing a mental health problem since the training and 98% of these participants offered MHFA.
END
Notes to the Editor:
The launch of the MHFA evaluation will take place at the Armagh City Hotel on Wednesday 29 November 2006 from 9.30am. There will be a media facility from 9.00-9.45am when key speakers will be available for interview.
For further information contact:
Rosie McGaughey at the HPA on Tel: 028 9031 1611.
Sadie Bergin at CAWT on Tel: 028 7186 5191.
Aware Defeat Depression on Tel: 028 9032 1734.
1. Mental Health Foundation. Statistics on Mental health factsheet. Glasgow: Mental Health Foundation, 2003.
2. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan (2003-2008). Belfast: DHSSPS, 2003.
3. Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. The Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan (2006-2011). Belfast: DHSSPS, 2006.
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