Mental Health Literacy Component Inventory
Understanding how to foster and maintain positive mental health: ADDRESSED
Understanding mental health disorders and their treatments: NOT ADDRESSED
Decreasing stigma: ADDRESSED
Understanding how to seek help effectively: ADDRESSED
Learning Standard Inventory
Based on learning standards provided by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Compare & contrast emotional, mental + behavioral illness, mental well-being and concurrent disorders
Describe how self-harm or suicide impacts other people
Explain how to help someone who is thinking about attempting suicide
YES
Identify school and community resources that can help a person with emotional, mental and behavioral health concerns
YES
Describe laws related to minors accessing mental health care
NO
Advocate for reducing stigma associated with emotional and mental and behavioral health
YES
YES
NO
This in-person training teaches high school students about common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental health and help a friend who is struggling. It’s equipping young people with the knowledge and skills they need to foster their own wellness and to support each other.
Materials, Evidence and Implementation
GETTING STARTED:
To begin your training journey and obtain access to teaching materials, visit the Mental Health First Aid site and register for training.
SUPPORT MATERIALS
•Resources/Materials: Implementation Toolkit - best practices for delivering the tMHFA program and Exit Tickets - distributed at the end of each session to teens to ask them how they're doing, if they'd like to be seen, and any questions they have
•Fidelity Measure: Y (Yearly observation form for tMHFA Instructors)
•Student learning measure: Y (Pre-test, Post-test, 6-month follow-up test)
- 5 Studies (peer reviewed)
- 2 Cluster RCTs + 3 Single Case Studies
- 372-1942 students (13-17 yrs old)
- "Students receiving teen Mental Health First Aid training were much more likely to report an increase from pre- to post-training in recognition of suicidality and appropriate first aid intentions towards a peer at risk of suicide than students receiving physical first aid . Twelve months after training, most effects were still significant. Although a greater proportion of teen Mental Health First Aid participants self-reported feeling briefly distressed after the training, there was no evidence of greater distress at 12 months on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Compared to PFA, tMHFA resulted in significantly improved supportive first aid intentions and mental health literacy and significantly decreased stigmatising attitudes among adolescents. Most students found the information presented to be new, easy to understand, and useful."
IMPLEMENTATION
•Program Material Cost: $3,200 for 3-day Instructor training and $8.95/student manual
•Modality: Classroom Curriculum
•Setting: Classrooms or health classes. School-wide assembly-style sessions are not allowed.
•Grade level(s): 10th - 12th grade
•Who delivers the program: Teacher, Specialized staff (paraeducator, instructional support staff, etc), School Administrator, School Nurse, Social Worker, School Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Counselor, Mental Health Therapist, Prevention/Interventionist/ Recovery Specialist, Trainer/TA Provider, People with lived experiences of mental health concerns
•Qualifications/Training needed?: Y (3-day Instructor training, 10% staff complete YMHFA 1 day training)
•Training Description: $3,200 for the 3-day Instructor training
•Virtual option? Hybrid delivery option currently under development
•Length: Either 6, 45 min sessions or 3, 90 min sessions
GETTING STARTED:
To begin your training journey and obtain access to teaching materials, visit the Mental Health First Aid site and register for training.
