Mental Health First Aid for employers

The state of mental health in the UK today is fragile. We know that, in normal times, as many as 1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year¹. The coronavirus pandemic adds another layer to this. Mental health charity, Mind is urging the Government to, “plan for recovery from [a] coronavirus mental health crisis.”²

A recent survey by Mind revealed that 65% of adults over 25 with an existing mental health problem reported worse mental health, during lockdown. And more than one in five adults with no previous experience of poor mental health, now report poor or very poor mental health².

What this means for employers

This poses a critical challenge for employers. If mental health wasn’t on your agenda before, it needs to be now. Our workplace wellbeing research with the CIPD, shows that four-fifths of organisations design their health and wellbeing activity to promote mental health to a large or moderate extent³.

There is a range of approaches employers can take to support employee mental health. Access to counselling services, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), and increasing awareness of mental health issues across the workforce are all becoming more common.

But this World Mental Health Day (10 October), we’re focusing on a really practical way to help. And that’s Mental Health First Aid.

What is Mental Health First Aid?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is training that teaches people how to understand and identify mental health issues. It teaches how to spot signs of mental ill health, how to listen and respond, and how to signpost people to further sources of help and support like a GP, EAP or counselling service.

MHFA is becoming more common as a way for organisations to manage employee mental health at work. Over the last three years, we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of employers who provide MHFA training – rising from just 19 percent in 2018, to 47 percent in 2020³. An encouraging trend!

Why provide MHFA training?

We know that mental health support can often fall on the shoulders of line managers. They are usually the first port of call for employees who may be struggling, yet many do not receive the training they need to deal with these types of issues.

In fact, only 60% of organisations say line managers are trained to manage stress³, leaving a significant proportion who might not have the skills to tackle this cause of poor mental health. MHFA training can be opened up to all employees, helping to lighten the load for line managers, and providing a robust foundation for all aspects of mental health support.

Having Mental Health First Aiders at all levels of the organisation also means that your messages about mental health can be shared peer-to-peer, rather than only from the top down. This can really help to raise awareness and break down the stigma that is sometimes associated with mental ill-health.

MHFA in action

At Simplyhealth, supporting our colleagues with their health and wellbeing aligns to the very heart of our Purpose; building on the belief that prevention is better than cure, and helping our customers and colleagues to stay healthy now and in the future.

We have many support tools for our colleagues, but having friendly, familiar faces to turn to at work, can provide an encouraging first step in reaching out for support when our colleagues need it. That’s why we have fifty volunteers who are trained Mental Health First Aiders. Here’s what they have to say about their important roles:

Want to know more?

We’ve created a helpful guide for your employees. It covers how we have introduced MHFAs here at Simplyhealth, support and resources for your employees, plus tips on how to raise your profile as a Mental Health First Aider. Download it here.

And for more ideas on supporting mental health, take a look at our seven free resources for mental wellbeing at work.