Mental Health First Aid® for Tertiary Students

Stress, anxiety, and depression are highly prevalent among medical, nursing, and allied health tertiary students, with stigma and fear of disclosure posing key barriers to help-seeking. Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA®) is a safe and effective program that increases participants’ knowledge of mental health first aid provision, increases positive attitudes to treatments, increases confidence in helping others, reduces stigma, and increases intention to support others. This chapter outlines the redevelopment of the eLearning component of the MHFA for Health Professional Students course. Guided by best-practice curriculum design, the redevelopment involved alignment with updated Mental Health First Aid International guidelines, consultation with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and lived experience advocates, and the creation of new films, scenarios, and lived experience artwork. Assessment tools were also embedded to evaluate the attainment of key knowledge and health promotion messages. The program is aimed to reach over 115,000 medical, nursing, midwifery, and allied health tertiary students within 4 years, creating mentally healthy learning environments with a national impact. Preliminary evidence indicates that students increase their intention to support fellow students, encourage them to seek help, and feel more confident seeking help for themselves. A recent establishment of longitudinal research is set to identify additional benefits.