Mental health first aid and training for members of the public

Abstract

The prevalence of mental disorders is so high that members of the public will frequently have contact with someone experiencing a disorder. How they respond to that person may affect help-seeking and outcome of the disorder. However, community surveys show that many members of the public lack knowledge and skills in this area. To overcome this lack, a mental health first aid training course has been developed in Australia and widely disseminated. It has also been adapted for different national and cultural groups. A number of trials have been carried out to evaluate the course, showing improvements in recognition of mental disorders, concordance with professionals about treatments, confidenc..