Understanding Mental Health First Aid for Psychosis

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T Compton ◽  
Beth Broussard
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The University

Throughout this guide, we have tried to explain all parts of a first episode of psychosis in a detailed way. But what happens if you know someone who may be experiencing an episode of psychosis and you have to act fast or help them get into treatment? This last chapter includes advice on how to provide mental health “first aid” to those who may be experiencing an episode of psychosis. These guidelines were developed by and reprinted here with permission from Professor Anthony Jorm and Ms. Betty Kitchener from the University of Melbourne and ORYGEN Research Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As a result of an extensive process, they are based on the agreement of a panel of patients, family members, and mental health professionals from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information on their Mental Health First Aid program, please visit www.mhfa.com.au. The remainder of this chapter is organized around nine questions that are addressed to help people who may need to provide “first aid” to someone experiencing psychosis. The purpose of these guidelines is to help members of the public to provide first aid to someone who may be experiencing psychosis. The role of the first aider is to assist the person until he or she receives appropriate professional help or the crisis resolves. These guidelines are a general set of recommendations about how you can help someone who may be experiencing psychosis. Each individual is unique, and it is important to tailor your support to that person’s needs. So, these recommendations will not be appropriate for every person who may have psychosis. It is important to learn about the early warning signs of psychosis and the symptoms of psychosis so that you can recognize when someone may be developing psychosis. Although some of these signs may not be very dramatic on their own, when you consider them together, they may suggest that something is not quite right. It is important not to ignore or dismiss such warning signs or symptoms, even if they appear gradually and are unclear.

scholarly journals Cultural adaptation of mental health first aid guidelines for depression for Sri Lanka: a Delphi expert consensus study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhawee Fernando ◽  
Amila Chandrasiri ◽  
Madhubhashinee Dayabandara ◽  
Nicola J. Reavley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
First Aid Training

Abstract Background Family and friends can play a key role in supporting a person with depression to seek professional help. However, they may lack the knowledge to do so. English-language guidelines for high-income countries have been developed to assist with this. The aim of this study was to adapt the English mental health first aid guidelines for helping a person with depression to the Sri Lankan context. Methods A Delphi expert consensus study involving mental health professionals and people with lived experience (either their own or as carers) was conducted. Participants were recruited from inpatient, outpatient and community care settings. The English-language questionnaire was translated into Sinhala and participants were asked to rate the importance of each item for inclusion in the guidelines for Sri Lanka. Results Data were collected over two survey rounds. A total of 115 panellists (23% male) consisting of 92 mental health professionals and 23 consumers and carers completed the Round 1 questionnaire. A total of 165 items were included in the final guidelines, with 156 adopted from the guidelines for English-speaking countries and 9 generated from the comments of panellists. Conclusions The adapted guidelines were similar to the English-language guidelines. However, new items reflecting culturally relevant approaches to autonomy-granting, communication and culture-specific manifestations of depression were reflected in the adapted version. Further research should explore the use of the adapted guidelines, including their incorporation into Mental Health First Aid Training.

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Peyote Effect ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 11-22
Author(s):  
Alexander S. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
German Scientist ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
First Americans ◽  
The Moment

In this chapter, we consider the moment when European and American scientists “discovered” peyote. John Briggs was one of the first Americans to write about peyote (in 1887), followed shortly by James Mooney, who recounted his experiences among the Kiowa of Oklahoma at the Anthropological Association in Washington DC in 1891. Around this time, the German scientist Louis Lewin encountered peyote while on a trip to the United States. Americans proved less adept at unlocking the chemistry of the cactus than their German counterparts, who identified four different alkaloids in the cactus by the mid-1890s. This period also saw notable studies of peyote by investigators in the United Kingdom, including some fairly dramatic self-experimentation among English intellectuals overseen by Havelock Ellis. Though their work did not yield widely accepted breakthroughs, these researchers were early pioneers in the exploration of the use of peyote and then mescaline as a tool for mental health professionals.

Knowing Your Early Warning Signs and Preventing a Relapse

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
Beth Broussard ◽  
Michael T. Compton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Early Warning Signs

This chapter explains early warning signs, which are mild symptoms that occur before another episode of illness, or a relapse. To help prevent a relapse, young people can stick with treatment, watch for early warning signs, and work with their mental health professional to intervene promptly. Young people can identify their unique warning signs by thinking back to the time just before the first episode to identify the two or three early warning signs that they should watch for. Family, friends, and mental health professionals can help identify the changes they observed as well. Open communication between the young person and his or her family, friends, and mental health professionals is important when early warning signs start to occur. By carefully monitoring early warning signs, young people, their families, and their mental health professionals can work together to help lessen the severity of any future episode of psychosis that a person may have—or prevent a relapse altogether.

scholarly journals Cultural adaptation of the mental health first aid guidelines for assisting a person at risk of suicide for Sri Lanka: a Delphi expert consensus study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amila Chandrasiri ◽  
Madhawee Fernando ◽  
Madhubhashinee Dayabandara ◽  
Nicola J. Reavley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Mental Health First Aid

Abstract Background Approximately 3000 people die by suicide each year in Sri Lanka. As family and friends may play a role in supporting a person at risk of suicide to get appropriate help, there is a need for evidence-based resources to assist with this. The aim of this study was to culturally adapt the existing English-language mental health first aid guidelines for helping a person at risk of suicide to the Sri Lankan context. Methods A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted, involving mental health professionals and consumers (people with lived experience) and caregivers, who were identified by purposive and snowball sampling methods. Participants were recruited from a wide variety of professional roles and districts of Sri Lanka in order to maximize diversity of opinion. The original questionnaire was translated into Sinhala and participants were requested to rate each item according to the importance of inclusion in the guidelines. Results Data were collected over two survey rounds. Altogether, 148 people participated in the study (130 health professionals and 18 consumers). A total of 165 items were included in the final guidelines, with 153 adopted from the guidelines for English-speaking countries and 12 generated from the comments of panellists. Conclusions The adapted guidelines were similar to the English-language guidelines. However, new items relating to the involvement of family members were included and some items were omitted because they were not considered appropriate to the Sri Lankan context (particularly those relating to explicit mention of suicide). Further research is warranted to explore the use of these guidelines by the Sri Lankan public, including how they may be incorporated in Mental Health First Aid training.

scholarly journals Cultural adaptation of the mental health first aid guidelines for depression used in English-speaking countries for China: a Delphi expert consensus study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shurong Lu ◽  
Wenjing Li ◽  
Brian Oldenburg ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Anthony Jorm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Chinese Context ◽  
First Aid Training ◽  
English Speaking

Abstract Background: Most people who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of depression in China do not receive treatment. Family and friends can play a role in recognising the signs of depression and encouraging the person to seek treatment. However, many of them may lack the knowledge and skills to offer such help. The aim of this study was to culturally adapt the existing English-language mental health first aid (MHFA) guidelines for helping a person with depression to the Chinese context. Methods: A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted, in which two Chinese expert panels of mental health professionals (with experience in the field of clinical management of depression, n = 37) and consumers and carers (with lived experience, n = 30) rated the importance of actions that could be taken to help a person experiencing depression in mainland China. Results: Data were collected over 3 survey rounds. In the 1st round questionnaire, 175 statements translated into Chinese from the English-language guidelines were presented to the expert panels and 12 new statements were generated from panellists’ comments. Of these 187 statements, 173 were endorsed for inclusion in the adapted guidelines for China. Conclusions: Although the adapted guidelines were still quite similar to the guidelines for English-speaking countries, they also incorporated some new actions for the Chinese context, including those relating to different ways of respecting the autonomy of a person with depression and the role of their families. Further research is needed to explore the use of these guidelines by the Chinese public, including how they may be incorporated in Mental Health First Aid training.

Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid USA Using the Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
My K. Banh ◽  
Jeremy Chaikind ◽  
Hillary A. Robertson ◽  
Mary Troxel ◽  
Justine Achille ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
The United States ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Mental Health Beliefs ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: This study assessed the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in the United States with a theoretically based and psychometrically sound measure, the Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale (MBLS). Design: Online MBLS surveys were administered pre-MHFA training, 3-weeks post-training, and 6-months posttraining. Setting: Mental Health First Aid trainings carried out across the United States. Participants: Six hundred sixty-two trainees were contacted, and 273 (41%) completed the presurvey. Of those, 63% filled out the postsurvey and 35% completed the 6-month survey. Seventy-six individuals completed all 3 surveys. Intervention: Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour education program to help the general public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse; to date, almost 1 million people have been trained. Measure: The MLBS, based on the Unified Theory of Behavior Change framework, consists of attitudinal, social-, and skill-based constructs affecting the intention to perform and achievement of MHFA actions and reports of their actual completion. Analysis: Change across time points was assessed using multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Significant short- and longer term changes were found in internally consistent constructs tapping positive beliefs about MHFA actions, the confidence and intention to perform them as well as mental health literacy. Conclusion: The MBLS documented strong positive effects of MHFA training that were greater in individuals without prior mental health training, the intended targets of MHFA efforts.

scholarly journals A Mental Health First Aid Service in an Italian University Public Hospital during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Mauro Maldonato ◽  
Mario Bottone ◽  
Alessandro Chiodi ◽  
Grazia Isabella Continisio ◽  
Raffaella De Falco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been extremely stressful and has produced fear and anxiety throughout the population, representing a psychological emergency. This work aimed at presenting a mental health first aid service established within an Italian university public hospital context to address four different population targets (i.e., people vulnerable to mental health problems, health-care professionals, people in isolation, and general citizenship). Specifically, the organizational structure comprising four different areas (i.e., management, clinical, communication, and research) and first data collected from the foundation of the service until 3 May 2020 are presented. Findings indicated that anxiety and fear of contagion were the main motivations prompting both the general population and health-care professionals to ask for a psychological help. Furthermore, findings indicate that clients’ current quality of life was perceived as lower than in the past but also that imagined in the future, highlighting the importance of psychological first aid interventions. This service may represent an example for helping mental health professionals in developing similar services in their local realities, promoting health and individual and community resilience.

scholarly journals Offering mental health first aid to a person after a potentially traumatic event: a Delphi study to redevelop the 2008 guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn J. Chalmers ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm ◽  
Claire M. Kelly ◽  
Nicola J. Reavley ◽  
Kathy S. Bond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Consensus Method ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
The Public ◽  
First Aid Training

Abstract Background Trauma has a major impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people globally. Friends, family and members of the public are often well positioned to provide initial assistance if someone is experiencing extreme distress following a potentially traumatic event. Expert consensus guidelines for high income, Western countries on how to do this were published in 2008. The aim of the current study was to re-develop these guidelines to ensure they are current and reflect best practice. Methods The Delphi consensus method was used to determine which helping statements should be included in the guidelines. Helping statements were derived from a systematic search of literature that considered how a member of the public could help someone experiencing extreme distress following a potentially traumatic event. Two expert panels, comprising 28 mental health professionals with expertise in managing trauma and 26 consumer advocates, rated each statement. Statements were accepted for inclusion in the guidelines if they were endorsed by at least 80% of each panel. Results Out of 183 statements, 103 were endorsed as appropriate helping actions in providing assistance to someone experiencing extreme distress following a potentially traumatic event. These statements were used to form the re-developed guidelines. Conclusion This study has resulted in a more comprehensive set of guidelines than the original version, with the endorsement of 103 helping actions, compared to 65 previously. The updated guidelines better represent the complexities of experiencing trauma and the considered approach required when providing first aid after a potentially traumatic event. The additional guidance on providing initial assistance, talking about the trauma, offering short-term assistance and seeking appropriate professional help reflects current knowledge. A notable addition is the inclusion of content on how a first aider can assist after a disclosure of abuse. The guidelines are available to the public and will inform future updates of Mental Health First Aid training courses.

scholarly journals International Survey on the Use of Emerging Technologies Among Forensic and Correctional Mental Health Professionals

2021 ◽  
pp. 009385482110420
Author(s):  
Madeleine A. Kirschstein ◽  
Jay P. Singh ◽  
Astrid Rossegger ◽  
Jérôme Endrass ◽  
Marc Graf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Professional Discipline ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Correctional Mental Health ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Although the global diffusion of e-mental health has increased in recent years, research on the use of technologies in criminal justice settings is limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted an international online survey ( N = 555) of forensic and correctional mental health professionals from Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and 20 additional countries. Telecommunication technologies and mental health platforms had the highest numbers of users, the broadest scope, and the largest increase in use due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In contrast, the use of social media and advanced technologies was lower, narrower in scope, and remained the same or decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents’ age, professional discipline, country, and clinical setting significantly predicted total technology use in clinical practice. The study findings provide an overview of the current patterns of technology use and point to opportunities for research and development.

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