Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Nov;23(4):133-134.
doi: 10.1136/ebmental-2020-300154. Epub 2020 Jul 29.

Mental health first aid: strengthening its impact for aid recipients

Cristina Mei  1   2 , Patrick D McGorry  3   2
Affiliations
Review

Mental health first aid: strengthening its impact for aid recipients

Cristina Mei et al. Evid Based Ment Health. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a potentially valuable first response in mental healthcare. MHFA is formulated as an extension of Psychological First Aid, the latter being a more focal response to crises and disasters. MHFA is a broader strategy which aims to improve the general public's immediate response to mental ill health and mental health crisis. While its effect on those trained in MHFA has been promising, recent meta-analyses have failed to detect any significant benefit to individuals who receive support from an MHFA trainee. Such outcomes highlight the need to revisit the content and implementation of MHFA to optimise and realise the full potential of the concept. Possible solutions are discussed, including developing new MHFA content using methodologies that foster innovation and creativity, in addition to improving the quality and effectiveness of MHFA training.

Keywords: psychiatry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Evans-Lacko S, Corker E, Williams P, et al. . Effect of the time to change anti-stigma campaign on trends in mental-illness-related public stigma among the English population in 2003-13: an analysis of survey data. Lancet Psychiatry 2014;1:121–8. 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70243-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Patel V, Saxena S, Lund C, et al. . The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. Lancet 2018;392:1553–98. 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31612-X - DOI - PubMed
    1. Drayer CS, Cameron DC, Woodward WD, et al. . Psychological first aid in community disaster. J Am Med Assoc 1954;156:36–41. - PubMed
    1. Morgan AJ, Ross A, Reavley NJ. Systematic review and meta-analysis of mental health first aid training: effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behaviour. PLoS One 2018;13:e0197102. 10.1371/journal.pone.0197102 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Maslowski AK, LaCaille RA, LaCaille LJ, et al. . Effectiveness of mental health first aid: a meta-analysis. MHRJ 2019;24:245–61. 10.1108/MHRJ-05-2019-0016 - DOI