Mental health first aid critical for early intervention, teaches communication skills

Learning how to perform CPR, stem bleeding, or create an arm sling are basic skills learnt in a first aid course.

But just as physical first aid skills are highly useful and in many workplaces, even mandatory, having the skills to recognise and address mental health issues in others are just as valuable.

In any one year, around one in five people aged from 16 to 85 will experience a mental health disorder.

Mental health first aid (MHFA) refers to the…