The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course was developed to teach members of the public how to recognise when someone is developing a mental health problem or in a crisis and to assist them by providing mental health first aid. However, with the appropriate skills and knowledge, family and friends are well placed to help someone who experiences a potentially traumatic event.
The Australian public’s knowledge about anxiety and trauma is also lower than for other mental health conditions like depression. However, Australian research has found that substantial improvements are required in the knowledge and skills needed to help someone experiencing mental illness or a mental health crisis, particularly in specific areas, for example providing support and information to someone experiencing PTSD.
#PROPOSED ERRATA FIRST AID 2017 PROFESSIONAL#
Given this, and that many people do not receive treatment, family and friends can play a role in recognising the symptoms of mental illness, providing support and, if needed, encouraging appropriate professional help. Įarly assistance or support from family or friends, as well as professional treatment, may help to prevent the onset of mental illness or may minimise the severity of mental illness should it develop. Significant treatment gaps for mental disorders have been described worldwide with professional treatment only received by a minority of those who need it. In 2010, mental and substance use disorders accounted for 183.9 million disability-adjusted life- years (DALYs) or 7.4% of all DALYs globally. Anxiety disorders were ranked as the sixth largest contributor to non-fatal health burden and depressive disorders ranked as the largest contributor. In 2015, it was estimated that in the past year, 3.6% of the global population experienced an anxiety disorder and 4.4% of the global population experienced a depressive disorder. These events may cause anxiety, depression, acute stress disorder (ASD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other diagnosable mental illness. The term “potentially traumatic event” reflects that such events may have little impact on one person but cause severe distress to another. Potentially traumatic events are powerful and distressing experiences that are usually life-threatening or pose a significant threat to a person’s physical or psychological wellbeing. The guidelines are available to the public and will inform future updates of Mental Health First Aid training courses. A notable addition is the inclusion of content on how a first aider can assist after a disclosure of abuse. The additional guidance on providing initial assistance, talking about the trauma, offering short-term assistance and seeking appropriate professional help reflects current knowledge. The updated guidelines better represent the complexities of experiencing trauma and the considered approach required when providing first aid after a potentially traumatic event. 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. These statements were used to form the re-developed guidelines. Out of 183 statements, 103 were endorsed as appropriate helping actions in providing assistance to someone experiencing extreme distress following a potentially traumatic event. Statements were accepted for inclusion in the guidelines if they were endorsed by at least 80% of each panel. Two expert panels, comprising 28 mental health professionals with expertise in managing trauma and 26 consumer advocates, rated each statement. 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. The Delphi consensus method was used to determine which helping statements should be included in the guidelines. The aim of the current study was to re-develop these guidelines to ensure they are current and reflect best practice. Expert consensus guidelines for high income, Western countries on how to do this were published in 2008. 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. Trauma has a major impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people globally.
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