Mental Health First Aid

Mental health first aid refers to the support given to someone experiencing a potential mental health crisis, in a more informal setting than a professional healthcare environment. This might occur out on the street or within an establishment, or sometimes in a more specific setting such as an airplane. Medical first aid might be more straightforward to give, such as attending to someone with a broken limb or bleeding. Mental health first aid can be confusing or murky, as it’s harder to directly identify a clear problem and solution when the suffering at hand occurs inside a person’s head. People suffering from mental health issues are also often reluctant to seek help given the various societal stigmas around this topic and a general sense of feeling embarrassed.

When providing mental health first aid one ought to remain calm so as to avoid causing the aggrieved person any further stress. If, for example, someone is having a panic attack, one should speak quietly and help them orient themselves in the moment and in space, perhaps involving breathing or grounding techniques. An example of this might be box breathing, in which an individual breathes in and out on a rhythm, holding their breath for the same interval of time in between each inhale and exhale. This is a useful exercise that is fairly easy to explain and can calm a person’s nervous system. A mental health first aid practitioner might also help someone apply cold water to their face so as to lower their stress and calm them. It’s important to listen to the individual in a situation like this, to make them feel as comfortable as possible and not overwhelm them further; empathy is a useful skill here. This is not a place for diagnosis, rather for simple understanding and support.