Mental Health First Aid: A Systematic Review of Trainee Behavior and Recipient Mental Health Outcomes

Sarah Forthal · Karolina Sadowska · Kathleen M. Pike · Manya Balachander · Kristina Jacobsson · Sabrina Hermosilla

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Mental Health Treatment and Access Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation Mental Health and Patient Involvement

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a globally disseminated course that trains members of the public to recognize and respond to mental health issues in their communities. Although substantial evidence suggests that MHFA training is associated with positive changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intent, little is known about how MHFA trainee-delivered aid supports mental health needs. This systematic review sought to summarize the extant research evaluating MHFA trainees' helping behaviors and the impacts of these behaviors on people experiencing a mental health problem (i.e., recipients). METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for MHFA evaluations published before or on March 9, 2021. Studies that evaluated at least one outcome related to trainee helping behavior or recipient mental health were included in the synthesis. Outcomes were organized into three categories: trainee use of MHFA skills, helpfulness of trainees' actions, and recipients' mental health. Only studies that compared pre- and posttraining outcomes, included a control group, and directly evaluated MHFA were used to assess its efficacy. RESULTS: The search identified 31 studies, nine of which met criteria to assess MHFA efficacy. The findings of the nine studies indicated that MHFA had mixed effects on trainees using the skills taught in the course and no effects on the helpfulness of trainees' actions or on recipient mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that there is insufficient current evidence that MHFA improves the helping behaviors of trainees or the mental health of those receiving helping behaviors. They highlight a crucial research gap that should be prioritized as MHFA continues to grow in popularity.

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2009Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement 2009Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement 2011The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials 2015Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement 2005Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication 2018Systematic review and meta-analysis of Mental Health First Aid training: Effects on knowledge, stigma, and helping behaviour 2002Mental health first aid training for the public: evaluation of effects on knowledge, attitudes and helping behavior 2014Mental Health First Aid is an effective public health intervention for improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour: A meta-analysis

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