Abstract
Aim
University students have high rates of mental health problems; however, most delay or fail to seek help altogether. Tertiary settings can offer educational and social programmes to increase mental health awareness and in turn increase the number of students seeking help for their problems. This study aimed to explore students' and staffs' knowledge of mental health issues, confidence to intervene and application of skills following Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.
Methods
Students and staff at an Australian university who had completed MHFA training in the previous 24 months were invited to complete a validated online questionnaire.
Results
Of the 566 eligible participants, 107 (19%) completed the questionnaire. The majority (65%) had applied their skills to someone in need, with the highest number applying it to students. Notably, of those who had applied their skills 23 participants (33%) had applied them in a crisis situation, the most common being panic attacks followed by suicidal thoughts. Although most (98%) applied their skills in a face‐to‐face capacity, 53% also reported assisting someone via electronic mediums and social media. The mean score for the literacy test was considered high, 12/16 (SD = 1.7) for students and 13/16 (SD = 2.5) for staff. The majority (94%) reported more confidence in providing support following training.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that MHFA training on a university campus is associated with a high level of knowledge, confidence to intervene and apply MHFA skills to assist a student or friend in need, potentially impacting their long‐term health outcomes and future professional careers.
University students have high rates of mental health problems; however, most delay or fail to seek help altogether. Tertiary settings can offer educational and social programmes to increase mental health awareness and in turn increase the number of students seeking help for their problems. This study aimed to explore students' and staffs' knowledge of mental health issues, confidence to intervene and application of skills following Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training.
Methods
Students and staff at an Australian university who had completed MHFA training in the previous 24 months were invited to complete a validated online questionnaire.
Results
Of the 566 eligible participants, 107 (19%) completed the questionnaire. The majority (65%) had applied their skills to someone in need, with the highest number applying it to students. Notably, of those who had applied their skills 23 participants (33%) had applied them in a crisis situation, the most common being panic attacks followed by suicidal thoughts. Although most (98%) applied their skills in a face‐to‐face capacity, 53% also reported assisting someone via electronic mediums and social media. The mean score for the literacy test was considered high, 12/16 (SD = 1.7) for students and 13/16 (SD = 2.5) for staff. The majority (94%) reported more confidence in providing support following training.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated that MHFA training on a university campus is associated with a high level of knowledge, confidence to intervene and apply MHFA skills to assist a student or friend in need, potentially impacting their long‐term health outcomes and future professional careers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1121-1128 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Early Intervention in Psychiatry |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 10 Oct 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2019 |
