Mental health ‘first aid’ tips for 1m

AT least a million volunteers will be trained to give mental health first aid in a Government drive to improve care.

They will be taught how to help patients who are depressed, anxious or experiencing other mental health crises.

The courses will be free and are likely to consist of a series of online modules and practical advice. They will run from next autumn and the Government hopes that at least a million will sign up.

Ministers have invested £15million into the courses and they are part of a wider overhaul of the NHS’s mental health services. Figures show that around one in four adults experience a mental health problem in any year. But there has long been a social stigma attached to such conditions and many people are unwilling to admit they are affected.

The courses will teach volunteers to assess their own mental health as well as coping techniques on how to reduce stress levels. Crucially, they will also be trained on how to help family members, friends, colleagues or strangers deal with mental health crises. Public Health England, the Government agency for tackling ill health, will now consult on exactly how the courses will be run.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: ‘I want to use the power of Government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society.’

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘Mental health first aid gives people the skills to help others as well as protect one’s own mental health.’