Mental Health First Aid Training for Allied Health Clinical Educators: A Pre- and Post-Evaluation

Abstract

Purpose: Health profession students may experience mental health issues during training, and clinical educators report that they don’t feel confident in supporting students with these issues. This study explored whether a customized Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training programme changed the knowledge, perceptions, intentions, and confidence of clinical educators in supporting students with mental health issues in the workplace. Method: Twenty-four allied health clinical educators from a tertiary health service attended a two-day customized MHFA course. The educators completed assessments before (n = 21) and after (n = 23) the course. Quantitative data was analyzed using independent t-tests. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed using content analysis. Results: Knowledge improved significantly (p = <0.001). The confidence to manage students with mental health issues increased significantly (p < 0.001). A significant change in perception was only found with respect to a character in a scenario being dangerous or unpredictable. Intentions to assist co-workers and students with mental health issues improved for all items but not necessarily significantly. Conclusions: This programme improved educators’ knowledge of mental health, perceptions of people with mental health issues, intentions of providing help, and confidence to support people with mental health issues.