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24 August 2023

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Mental Health First Aid

Breaking the stigma around poor mental health and supporting employees

Did you know? At any given time, 1 in 6 working-age adults have symptoms associated with poor mental health, and 1 in 4 people experience poor mental health each year.

After attending a Mental Health First Aid course, Marketing Coordinator Alice is our first Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®) at MNP.

As a MHFAider® you are able to recognise those that may be experiencing poor mental health and provide them with first-level support and early intervention, and encourage them to get appropriate professional help.  The course also encourages a MHFAider® to practise self-care so you’re able to support others safely; doing things that you enjoy or get comfort from – this will vary for each person and can change over time.

It’s important to break the stigma of poor mental health and be able to speak to someone in confidence. Just like physical health, we all have mental health – this is how we think, feel and behave.  We can have good mental health or experience poor mental health, or a mental health condition.  Poor mental health is a state that has a negative impact on the way we think, feel and behave which can have an impact on our daily lives.

Alice says; “This course has been really interesting and informative. By completing this course I feel a lot more confident about being able to support people who are experiencing poor mental health. As a MHFAider® I now have the resources to be able to signpost colleagues to sources of professional help.  I actively engage in self-care activities such as walking, building Lego and playing with my cat!  It’s important that we give ourselves permission and time to do things we enjoy.”

You can find out more about becoming a MHFAider® on this website: Become a Mental Health First Aider · MHFA England