Many of us are trained first aiders and know how to bandage a cut or put someone in the recovery position. But how many of us know what to confidently do if someone is suffering from mental ill-health? So many of us experience mental health problems, but we don’t know how to support our colleagues or family friends properly. Mental Health First Aid teaches us the right thing to do or say in the situation.
How Does Mental Health Affect Businesses?
Mental health issues can cost businesses up to £34.9 billion every year and this is mainly due to lack of productivity. Across businesses, 72 million working days are lost annually due to mental ill-health. Employees who are unsupported due to their mental health cost companies £1,300 per employee every year. Studies have shown that having MHFA training in the workplace can reduce these costs by up to 30%.
What Does A Mental Health First Aid Course Include?
An MHFA course teaches people to spot the signs of someone suffering from mental health issues, particularly in the workplace, and how to support them correctly. An attendee would learn how to help someone who was showing signs of distress, for example, someone who suffers from anxiety having a panic attack. It also teaches you how to support someone who suffers from a long term ongoing mental health condition. A Mental Health First Aider will know the correct sources and resources to help the person who is struggling and point them in the right direction. Our MHFA courses here at Oxford CBT are split into three core components:
1 Understanding the realities of mental health
2 Recognising the signs of trouble
3 Effective Intervention
Oxford CBT’s 2-Day Mental Health First Aid Training Course ensures that every participant comes away with the five skills key to spotting and managing a potential mental health event:
Assess the situation. Encourage self-help. Listen non-judgmentally. Encourage professional help. Give reassurance and information.
How Can Mental Health First Aid Help A Workplace?
Having staff members trained in mental health first aid ensures that there will always be someone in the workplace who can spot the first signs of a colleague struggling as soon as signs start to develop. This would mean that the person who is struggling can get help earlier before problems develop further
There can be such a stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace and having a Mental Health First Aider will help to alleviate that. Training staff in MHFA will show to anyone who is suffering that your company will offer support and guidance to employees. It will help to open up the conversation between your staff and managers as they know that they will be supported and not put down or discriminated against.
Healthy employees make for a healthy workplace. A lack of productivity caused by mental health is one of the biggest costs for businesses. Having someone trained in MHFA helps employees and managers to know what to look for and what to say, which will in turn help employees to feel healthier and supported when it comes to mental health.
Sadly, mentally ill-health is one of the most common reasons for employees to be put onto long term sick leave. Having staff who are trained to intervene and provide staff support when problems begin can help save companies money and time. This is more favourable than not supporting colleagues and the problems become so severe that the staff member requires long periods off work.
Interested in ensuring you are looking after your employees? Our Mental Health First Aid Training Course is essential for any business that wants to look after their employee’s health. For more information, please get in touch..
