Mental Health
First Aid Training 

Session 1 (day 1)

• Mental Health First Aid ​and the action plan

• The MHFAider® role ​and self-care 

• Helpful and unhelpful language ​ 

• Useful models to support the role  

Session 2 (day 1)

• What influences mental health? ​ 

• What is anxiety? ​ 

• Crisis first aid 

• Active listening and empathy ​ 

• What are eating disorders? ​ 

• What is self-harm? ​ 

• What is substance misuse? ​ 

Session 3 (day 2)

• Applying the Mental Health First Aid action plan 

• What is depression? ​ 

• What is suicide? ​ 

• Crisis first aid ​continued 

• What is psychosis? ​ 

Session 4 (day 2)

• Recovery and lived experience ​ 

• Boundaries in the MHFAider® role 

• Moving forward in the MHFAider® role ​ 

• My MHFA action plan ​ 

1.  At any one time, one in six people of the working age population of Britain experience symptoms associated with mental ill health. [2] 

2.  50% of employees have experienced at least one characteristic of burn out due to greater job demands and expectations, lack of social interaction and lack of boundaries between work and home life. [3]

3.  Almost half of workers (46%) say they’ve worked in recent months despite not feeling physically or mentally well enough to perform their duties. [4]

4.  Mental ill health costs UK employers approximately £56 billion each year. [3]

– Annual cost of presenteeism: approx. £28 billion

– Annual cost of staff turnover: approx. £22 billion

– Annual cost of absenteeism: approx. £6 billion

5.  The total annual cost of mental ill health to employers have increased by 25% since 2019. [3]

6.  For every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, employers could get back £5.30 in reduced absence, presenteeism, and staff turnover. [3]

7.  55% of respondents, in the CIPD good work index survey, who have experienced depression in the past 12 months said work had contributed, however, only 36% discussed this with their boss or employer. [4]

8.  One third expect or would like more support for their mental health and wellbeing from their employers. [3]

9.  Only 38% of HR respondents, in the CIPD Health and wellbeing at work survey, think line managers in their organisation are confident to have sensitive conversations and signpost staff to expert sources of help if needed. [4]

10.  Just over a quarter of workers (26%) say they struggle to relax in their personal time because of work. [4]

Definitions:

Presenteeism: Attending work in spite of illness and so not performing at full ability. [3]

Absenteeism: Days absent from work in relation to mental health issues. [3]

Burnout: Burnout is a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy. [5]

 Sources: 

[1] CIPD health and wellbeing at work survey (2022)

[2] Royal College of Psychiatrists: Mental Health and Work report (2016)

[3] Deloitte UK Mental Health Report (2022)

[4] CIPD good work index (2022)

[5] The World Health Organisation (2019)

Taken from: https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/10-workplace-mental-health-statistics-2022/