Mental health first aid represents a facet that is barely understood by many individuals. This is for the simple reason that even without the aspect of first aid introduced to the issue of mental health, the latter is still not well understood within different communities across the world. To do this, it is imperative to have a better understanding of individuals with mental health, whether presently or in the past. For instance, how do you give first aid to a psychotic individual when they have been involved in an accident? This presents a myriad of challenges because typically, individuals will wonder whether to address the mental health issue first, or to deal with the issue at hand?
One of the organizations that have been making strides towards improvements of mental health first aid is an organization based in Scotland. The organization is known as Scottish NHS initiative. The organization offers an intense course that spans 12 hours. The actual origins of this initiative can be traced back to Australia. Scotland is one of the countries that have taken up this initiative. The course covers a wide range problems linked to issues arising from mental health. The only downside perhaps, is the fact that the course in Scotland cannot be applied for by anyone save for Scotts. Consequently, if you are really interested in taking the course, you may have to wait until the National Health System in your country takes it up.
The other option that you have as far as mental health first aid training is concerned, is to have an accredited mental health trainer who will ensure that you get the same training course material. Since this may be costly to do on your own, you may want to tag a few of your friends who share this interest with you. This will not only help you split costs, it will also give you the motivation that comes with group training. The benefits of such training may not quite be quantified for the simple reason that such forums also provide a place for individuals to network as well as create professional circles that prove helpful at later stages.
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozmSRrV0Hjo”]The purpose of mental health first aid can be divided into four broad categories, with the following aims:
– To prevent loss of life when an individual poses danger to themselves or to the people around them. This may include suicidal thought or strange fetishes.
– To be available to assist individuals who are mentally unstable so that such health issues do not escalate to more devastating issues.
– To advance good mental health practice so that such individuals, after undergoing mental health first aid are better placed on the road to recovery.
– To provide comfort to individuals facing mental health challenges.
Taking Mental health first aid courses go a long way in promoting awareness of present issues as well as to decrease the stigma that surrounds individuals facing mental health issues.