Why we need Mental Health First Aiders in the battle for wellbeing

The workplace has never looked so well. From fitness groups to blood pressure monitoring and revamped canteens, companies are finally considering their employees’ physical fitness needs.

Take, as example, the words of Prince William, who recently spoke out about the emotional turmoil he suffered while working as an air ambulance pilot. The Prince  said that seeing children injured and killed in road traffic accidents left him feeling "very down" – and that talking to colleagues helped him to "come to terms with the enormous sadness" of what had happened.

He added that “things can snowball and get quite bad” if there is not the right support at work.

Now a new wave of initiatives has been launched to improve support for those with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety within offices, such as the social movement Time to Change, which is led by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

Employers are increasingly realising that mental health issues can no longer be ignored. Last week, a group of business leaders and unions including Royal Mail, WH Smith, Channel 4 and Unite wrote an open letter to Theresa May, calling for the government to overhaul health and safety rules to equip first aiders to deal with early signs of mental health problems.

It backs up the Time to Change Employer Pledge, a commitment to normalise the conversation about mental health in the workplace which has already been signed by more than 800 employers in England from FTSE 100 companies and leading retailers to Government departments and local authorities.

This concern is not surprising. It’s estimated about one in six will experience mental health problems in the workplace, according to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF), with women in full-time employment nearly twice as likely to have a common problem as men.

And companies now know that it can have a tangible but detrimental effect on productivity. Evidence suggests that 12.7 per cent of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions, says the MHF, which offers online mindfulness training in the workplace.

“Organisations that prioritise employee wellbeing,” says Dane Krambergar, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Services at Mind, “find their workers are more productive, loyal, and less likely to take time off sick or leave their jobs entirely.”

This may be especially true among younger staff who are unsure where to find support once they leave home, points out Tom Madders, Campaigns Director at mental health charity YoungMinds. “We know that young people can face a wide range of pressures, from exam stress to feeling isolated at work to the pressures of living their lives online.

“Schools, universities and workplaces should be equipped to take mental health as seriously as they do physical health, promoting a positive culture and making sure that initial support is available for anyone going through a crisis. Ensuring that people can get help quickly can make a real difference.”

One workplace scheme which could be the solution is the development of first aiders for mental health. Instead of handing out aspirin and bandages like a traditional first aid officer, these are staff trained to look out for early signs that someone is experiencing anxiety, depression or more complex conditions. They are also equipped with the skills to intervene and to encourage a more open and kinder attitude to mental health concerns in general.

The idea originated in Australia but is now followed in 24 countries including the UK. “The plan is to improve everyone’s mental health literacy,” explains Jaan Madan, Workplace Lead of community interest company Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England. “We aim to train one in 10 of the population.”

He adds: “Mental health skills can improve understanding of your own wellbeing, as well as helping you to see it in others.”

This is not about teaching people to be therapists or counsellors. “We know most people would like to do something when they sense a colleague is in trouble,” he says, “but worry they will open a can of worms or say wrong thing. They worry about causing stigma, too. A course in MHFA can build skills, confidence and knowledge while increasing awareness overall.”

Dane Krambergar agrees that providing staff with training can give employees the skills and confidence they need to support colleagues when they are experiencing a mental health problem. But he adds: “It is important that staff do not feel it is their responsibility to act as a medical professional but rather to listen, be supportive and signpost to support both internally and externally.”

But he adds that this is no sticking plaster approach. “A bit of support can go a long way. If a colleague has a mental health problem and wants to talk, it’s important that they know they can do that without fear of discrimination.”

Debbie Francis, Manager, People and Organisation Planning EMEA and Diversity Europe, at Ford of Britain’s head office in Warley, Brentwood, trained to be a mental health first aider eight months ago, in December 2017.

The impetus was a conversation Francis had with a colleague who was experiencing depression.  “As we began to talk and share our own experiences,” she says, “we saw how it can touch so many people in different ways.”

Francis attended a Mental Health First Aider 2-day programme to experience it for herself, she says, “and also to help me with my own confidence in becoming an employee mental health champion.”

The MHFA offer three types of course – four-hour sessions, one day and two days (at a cost of about £300). The shortest course covers awareness and basic education about mental health; the one-day programme is aimed more at line managers to teach them how to work with or support someone who has depression, for example.

The full two days covers a wider range of topics in more detail including anxiety and suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. Debbie Francis admits she found her course: “intense”.

“There was a real mix of participants from different industries,” she says, “and different parts of the business.  What surprised me the most, was how a group of strangers came together in a safe environment, and very quickly started to share openly their own and varied experiences. 

“The hardest part of the training was how tired I was at the end of both days.  You truly gain an in-depth understanding through a range of exercises, role-plays, and videos.  Some of the exercises were challenging for some of the participants, due to their own personal experiences.”

Since her training, Francis has facilitated a number of workshops on mental health awareness. “At the end of these sessions,” she says, “employees have approached me directly to talk about their own struggles of maintaining good mental health.  I have been able to guide them towards the help they may need.”

For Francis, training in MHFA is part of a wider approach now being implemented at Ford, which has signed the Employer Pledge with Time to Change. “There are also resources and toolkits available through Time to Change, MHFA England, MIND and many more.  These help you start to socialise the importance of raising awareness.”

Worried at work?

There are plenty of small steps you can take to help alleviate pressure, says Dane Krambergar, Head of Workplace Wellbeing Services at Mind – from time management skills to improving how you communicate with those you feel are putting unreasonable demands on you.

“If you’re struggling with unmanageable stress or poor mental health,” he says, “and the feelings last longer than two weeks, or keep returning, telling someone you trust about how you are feeling is one of the most important things you can do.

“Speaking to your GP is often the first port of call, they can talk you through what support is available. It can be daunting, but Mind has produced a guide on how to speak to your GP about mental health mind.org.uk/findthewords.

“If you feel ongoing work stress is having a negative impact on your wellbeing then you should also think about speaking to somebody at work that you trust – whether a colleague, your line manager, someone in HR or perhaps your union representative.”

This year, The Telegraph is supporting YoungMinds, a charity that helps parents and children cope with mental ill health, as part of our annual Christmas Charity Appeal. To donate, click here or call 0151 284 1927

Call the YoungMinds Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544, or visit youngminds.org.uk