World First Aid Day: Can you handle a mental health crisis? (12/9/10)

MEDIA RELEASE

12 September 2010

World First Aid Day: Can you handle a mental health crisis?

Sunday, September 12, is World First Aid Day; a global awareness campaign that encourages the uptake of life saving first aid practices.

Introduced in 2000 by The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World First Aid Day is an important event, highlighting the need for everyday people to take part in First Aid Training so they can effectively manage health threatening situations.

Learning medical first aid is important. But while people often know a lot about common physical health problems, there is widespread ignorance of mental health problems. And it’s these problems that you’re more likely to encounter in a health emergency.

In an effort to help people provide initial support to someone with a mental health problem, Betty Kitchener and Professor Tony Jorm developed a 12-hour intensive Mental Health First Aid course that aims to improve the mental health literacy of the Australian community.

“First aid courses teach you how to deal with emergencies like someone having a heart attack, or getting bitten by a snake. However, these emergencies are not common,” says Prof Jorm. “On the other hand, mental health problems and crisis situations like someone being suicidal are much more likely,” he explains.  “We need to have a whole-of-community response to mental illness, where everyone has some ability to support others who are affected.”

Australian Rotary Health, one of Australia’s largest independent health research funds, has become actively involved in the Mental Health First Aid campaign and is currently in the process of rolling the course out to approximately 60 Rotary Clubs around the country.

“Mental Health First Aid training provides participants with the skills and knowledge to assist a person who is affected by a mental health problem – from family and friends, to work colleagues and even themselves,” says Gillett. “An indirect benefit is that it helps de-stigmatise depression through education and can increase the likelihood of finding professional support.”

The course is available in every state and territory of Australia, and can also be studied online. It provides participants with essential knowledge about ongoing mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, gradual onset psychosis, and substance misuse and provides guidelines for assisting people who are experiencing suicidal behaviour or thoughts, panic attacks, anxiety attacks or acute psychotic behaviour.

“By understanding the warning signs, and by being able to offer assistance, people trained in mental health first aid are able to help their communities find better and more appropriate responses that may go some way towards reducing the suicide level in Australia,” says Gillett.

Early intervention from someone who is trained to recognise a mental health crisis can be vital. Australian Rotary Health is encouraging communities and individuals to get behind mental health first aid as a step towards improving mental health in their area. 

“We urge all Australian’s to take up the cause of mental health,” says Gillett. “By learning about mental health issues you are in a better position to offer assistance and help someone find the appropriate help,” she says.

How can you help
If you think someone is at risk of committing suicide, you can:

  • Call 000 for emergency services, call your local Mental Health Crisis Team or take the person to a Hospital Emergency Department if you think the situation is life threatening or dangerous.
  • Stay with person until help arrives.
  • Encourage and assist person to get appropriate professional help.
  • Encourage person to talk - listen without judgement. Be polite and respectful.
  • Try to help stop the person from consuming any more alcohol or drugs if they are affected by either.
  • Try to ensure person does not have ready access to some means to take their life.
  • Give reassurance about the short term nature of feeling suicidal.

For more information please contact:

Verity Twydale
Media and communications
E: veritytwydale@australianrotaryhealth.org.au
Ph: 02 8833 8346