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Do you have mental health first aid in your workplace?

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, we asked expert first aid trainer, Delyse Hobbs from Oxford First Aid Training to share her knowledge about the equally important area of mental health first aid in the workplace.

Understanding our mental health

When I teach physical first aid or mental health first aid, I teach ‘skills for life’. No one is expecting you to be a medical expert, but with a little knowledge and some practical skills you can hopefully find the confidence to step up and try to help. What you do in that first instance when someone is in difficulty, can really make a difference.

Mental health is about how we think, feel, and behave and just like physical health, it can vary from day to day. We view mental health as on a continuum, fluctuating between thriving and struggling. There are many different types of mental health issues and many different things that can contribute to mental ill health, such as difficult life events, poor physical health, work related stress and the worsening of an existing mental health condition.

Some people will only experience mental ill health once in their lifetime, others may have multiple episodes of ill health with periods of wellness in between. Most episodes of mental ill health are short-lived and those who have prolonged conditions can lead meaningful satisfying lives.

We come together in the workplace and in our communities with our own life experiences and beliefs that shape how we interpret our thoughts, feelings, and responses to any given situation, and can therefore influence how we treat ourselves and others. How we accommodate and support someone with mental ill health should be the same as if they had a physical health issue.

Mental health in the workplace

Research by Deloitte on presenteeism, absenteeism and staff turnover due to mental health problems found that poor mental health costs employers £33-42 billion per year and the UK economy £74-99 billion per year.

Poor mental health can have an enormous impact on an individual’s life, and on those around them. The human cost is incalculable, with the ultimate cost being loss of life through suicide. It is estimated that one in four people experience a mental health issue in any given year, and that one in six employees is depressed, anxious or suffering from stress-related problems at any time.

Although many employers want to do the right thing, they lack awareness of how to promote good mental health for all or support someone with a mental health condition.  Employers are aware that they are missing opportunities to intervene early when employees are struggling but they are unsure where to look for external support. 

What is mental health first aid?

Mental health first aid is defined as the initial support offered to a person who is developing a mental health issue, experiencing a worsening of an existing condition, or who is in a mental health crisis. The help is given until professional help is received or until the crisis is resolved. It is not about providing a diagnosis or therapy.

The main aims of mental health first aid are to:

  • Preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others
  • Alleviate suffering by providing immediate comfort and support
  • Prevent the condition from developing into a more serious problem
  • Promote recovery of good mental health by signposting and obtaining professional support
  • Raise awareness of mental health issues and reduce stigma

Our Mental Health First Aid course teaches people how to identify early warning signs of common mental health issues and crises, gives action plans and training to approach and ask the right questions, and how to guide someone towards treatment and supportive help.

The workplace can have a positive and negative impact on people’s mental health. Awareness of mental health issues at work is growing and we know that creating a climate at work that is conducive to the wellbeing of all staff by training people to spot changes in behaviour or performance that could indicate an underlying mental health issue, plays a critical role in reducing poor mental health. Improving mental health increases productivity, ensures greater job satisfaction, retention rates and attractiveness to future employees.

How can companies improve mental health in the workplace?

Having mental health first aiders in the workplace proves authenticity and a commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, reassures people that the company genuinely cares about mental health, and it is not just performative activism.

Other ways employers may improve mental health and wellbeing in the workplace include:

  • Involve all staff to create a mental health and wellbeing policy, include it in the business approach and vision, and then monitor and measure the impact of its delivery
  • Develop a culture of transparency around mental health issues in the workplace from board level down
  • Develop an environment where employer and employees can discuss potential challenges and options to reduce fear and stigma
  • Devise strategies to ensure that a healthy work life balance is a priority and monitor whether people are achieving it
  • Have a monthly focus on wellbeing
  • Encourage conversations about practical factors that affect mental health such as relationship and financial difficulties, ongoing change at work and poor physical health

A mental health first aid course is a great place to start if you want to learn more about mental health, ways you can support people to cope better, and empower them to thrive. It increases understanding which in turn increases tolerance, empathy, and compassion.

Further reading: If you would like to find out more about improving business productivity and mental wellbeing, I recommend the 2017 report “Thriving at Work – A review of Mental Health and Employers” by Stevenson and Farmer. Its framework of actions called ‘Core Standards’ are designed to help all businesses of any size to improve the mental health of their workplace and enable individuals with mental health issues to thrive.

Delyse Hobbs is the founder, director and lead instructor at Oxford First Aid Training. Delyse has over 30 years’ experience as a nurse and midwife and uses her knowledge and practical skills to deliver real-life, up-to-date experiences in the training room. She ensures that people are provided with the tools to confidently apply their training to everyday life.

Find out about the range of courses available in first aid and mental health first aid at www.oxfordfirstaidtraining.co.uk

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