Mental health first aid is a training program that teaches members of the public how to help a person who is experiencing varying degrees of worsening mental health issues. Like traditional first aid, mental health first aid does not teach people to treat or diagnose mental health or substance use conditions. Instead, the training teaches people how to offer initial support until appropriate professional help is received or until the crisis resolves. History The first Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program was developed in Australia in 2001 by a research team led by Betty Kitchener and Anthony Jorm. The program was created to teach members of the general public how to provide initial support to people experiencing mental health problems, as well as to connect them with appropriate professional help and community resources. MHFA training programs have been implemented in 26 countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and a number of other European, Asian, and African countries. Rationale According to the founders of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), they tested the idea that giving first aid for mental health could lessen the effects of mental health problems, speed up recovery, and make suicide less likely by educating students on common mental health crises. These include feelings of suicide, deliberate self-harm, panic attacks, or symptoms of psychosis, and how to deal with these situations. The idea was to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and make it more likely that people with mental health problems would seek help, which would reduce the risk of the person coming to harm. Curriculum The curriculum for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) typically includes the following topics: Participants learn about the common symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders, as well as a general overview of mental health and mental illnesses. Participants are educated on the common warning signs of mental illnesses, such as mood, behavior, and cognitive changes. Participants learn about local counseling and psychiatric services, and how to help others gain access to them. Using the knowledge from those topics, participants are educated on a 5-step action plan for providing mental health first aid, including the following: Evaluate the risk of suicide or harm Listen non-judgmentally Provide reassurance Encourage appropriate professional assistance Promote self-help and additional support strategies There may be additional modules that target specific populations, such as children