Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial
Abstract Background There is well-established evidence that Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training improves knowledge about how to support someone developing a mental health problem, but less evidence that this support improves the mental health of the recipient of aid. This randomised controlled t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-019-2085-8 |
| _version_ | 1818325217851736064 |
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| author | Amy J. Morgan Julie-Anne A. Fischer Laura M. Hart Claire M. Kelly Betty A. Kitchener Nicola J. Reavley Marie B. H. Yap Stefan Cvetkovski Anthony F. Jorm |
| author_facet | Amy J. Morgan Julie-Anne A. Fischer Laura M. Hart Claire M. Kelly Betty A. Kitchener Nicola J. Reavley Marie B. H. Yap Stefan Cvetkovski Anthony F. Jorm |
| author_sort | Amy J. Morgan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background There is well-established evidence that Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training improves knowledge about how to support someone developing a mental health problem, but less evidence that this support improves the mental health of the recipient of aid. This randomised controlled trial aimed to assess the long-term effects of MHFA training of parents on the mental health of their adolescent children. Methods 384 Australian parents of an adolescent aged 12–15 were randomised to receive either the 14-h Youth MHFA course or the 15-h Australian Red Cross Provide First Aid course. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up in both parents and adolescents. Primary outcomes were cases of adolescent mental health problems, and parental support towards their adolescent if they developed a mental health problem, rated by the parent and adolescent. Secondary outcomes included parent knowledge about mental health problems, intentions and confidence in supporting a young person, stigmatizing attitudes, and help-seeking for mental health problems. Results Parent and adolescent reports showed no significant difference between training groups in the proportion of cases of adolescents with a mental health problem over time (ps > .05). There was also no significant difference between training groups in the quality of parental support provided to their adolescent at 1- or 2-year follow-up (ps > .05). In contrast, some secondary outcomes showed benefits from the Youth MHFA training relative to the control, with increased parental knowledge about mental health problems at 1-year (d = 0.43) and 2-year follow-up (d = 0.26), and increased confidence to help a young person (d = 0.26) and intentions to provide effective support (d = 0.22) at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions The study showed some improvements in mental health literacy in training recipients, but could not detect changes in the mental health of adolescents and the support provided to them by their parents if they had a mental health problem. However, there was a lack of power to detect primary outcome effects and therefore the question of whether MHFA training leads to better outcomes in the recipients of aid remains to be further explored. Trial registration ACTRN12612000390886, registered retrospectively 5/4/2012. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:40:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59434fe8aa44439385a9da3bfb6a0e38 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-244X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T11:40:59Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-59434fe8aa44439385a9da3bfb6a0e382022-12-21T23:47:38ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2019-03-0119111410.1186/s12888-019-2085-8Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trialAmy J. Morgan0Julie-Anne A. Fischer1Laura M. Hart2Claire M. Kelly3Betty A. Kitchener4Nicola J. Reavley5Marie B. H. Yap6Stefan Cvetkovski7Anthony F. Jorm8Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneMental Health First Aid AustraliaMental Health First Aid AustraliaCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneCentre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of MelbourneAbstract Background There is well-established evidence that Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training improves knowledge about how to support someone developing a mental health problem, but less evidence that this support improves the mental health of the recipient of aid. This randomised controlled trial aimed to assess the long-term effects of MHFA training of parents on the mental health of their adolescent children. Methods 384 Australian parents of an adolescent aged 12–15 were randomised to receive either the 14-h Youth MHFA course or the 15-h Australian Red Cross Provide First Aid course. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up in both parents and adolescents. Primary outcomes were cases of adolescent mental health problems, and parental support towards their adolescent if they developed a mental health problem, rated by the parent and adolescent. Secondary outcomes included parent knowledge about mental health problems, intentions and confidence in supporting a young person, stigmatizing attitudes, and help-seeking for mental health problems. Results Parent and adolescent reports showed no significant difference between training groups in the proportion of cases of adolescents with a mental health problem over time (ps > .05). There was also no significant difference between training groups in the quality of parental support provided to their adolescent at 1- or 2-year follow-up (ps > .05). In contrast, some secondary outcomes showed benefits from the Youth MHFA training relative to the control, with increased parental knowledge about mental health problems at 1-year (d = 0.43) and 2-year follow-up (d = 0.26), and increased confidence to help a young person (d = 0.26) and intentions to provide effective support (d = 0.22) at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions The study showed some improvements in mental health literacy in training recipients, but could not detect changes in the mental health of adolescents and the support provided to them by their parents if they had a mental health problem. However, there was a lack of power to detect primary outcome effects and therefore the question of whether MHFA training leads to better outcomes in the recipients of aid remains to be further explored. Trial registration ACTRN12612000390886, registered retrospectively 5/4/2012.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-019-2085-8Mental health first aidSocial supportHelp-seeking behaviorMental disordersAdolescent |
| spellingShingle | Amy J. Morgan Julie-Anne A. Fischer Laura M. Hart Claire M. Kelly Betty A. Kitchener Nicola J. Reavley Marie B. H. Yap Stefan Cvetkovski Anthony F. Jorm Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial BMC Psychiatry Mental health first aid Social support Help-seeking behavior Mental disorders Adolescent |
| title | Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| title_full | Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| title_short | Does Mental Health First Aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients? The training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| title_sort | does mental health first aid training improve the mental health of aid recipients the training for parents of teenagers randomised controlled trial |
| topic | Mental health first aid Social support Help-seeking behavior Mental disorders Adolescent |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-019-2085-8 |
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