| Every month Anne LaFleur sends employees in her | | | | attitudes. |
| office a quiz about various wellness topics. When the | | | | Unexpectedly, the study also found that Mental |
| topic was depression, she received twice as many | | | | Health First Aid improved the mental well-being of the |
| responses as usual from co-workers. | | | | participants themselves. |
| When LaFleur, vice president of human resources at | | | | "By understanding the signs and symptoms of |
| a credit union in Pawtucket, RI, took a Mental Health | | | | depression, I learned to recognize this in myself," |
| First Aid course in February, she quickly understood | | | | says Kellie-Ann Heenan, director of human resources |
| the reason for the high level of interest in these | | | | at a company in Lincoln, RI. |
| types of issues. The training also helped her identify | | | | Heenan, who had the training in February, has an |
| people in her office who may be suffering a mental | | | | adopted son from Russia who suffers from a |
| health problem and taught her how to provide help | | | | number of emotional issues. |
| and refer people to self-help and professional | | | | "The tools I learned made it easier to connect with |
| resources. | | | | him and better understand where he's coming from," |
| "The training made me realize that mental health | | | | she says. "In the end, the training improved my own |
| issues are very common, yet one of the least talked | | | | mental health." |
| about problems," LaFleur says. | | | | LaFleur has also applied the lessons she learned in the |
| More than one in four people suffer from a | | | | course to her home life. |
| diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. | | | | "My kids are in their 20s and they go through the |
| Mental illness likely costs businesses more than $79 | | | | typical ups and downs," says LaFleur, "I use my |
| billion a year, $63 billion of it in lost productivity. The | | | | Mental Health First Aid training to see how my kids |
| statistics point to the significant need to incorporate | | | | are feeling." LaFleur says she was surprised by the |
| mental health into burgeoning employee wellness | | | | range of issues covered in the course. |
| programs, which have received a shot in the arm | | | | "We looked at how to deal with both crisis and |
| with the passage of federal healthcare reform | | | | non-crisis situations, and it made us very aware of |
| legislation. | | | | the terminology we use that may not be socially |
| Mental Health First Aid has proved to be an ideal | | | | correct," she says, noting that describing co-workers |
| program to promote improved mental health in | | | | as "crazy" or a "nut case" may be hurtful to people |
| workplaces across the country. | | | | going through an emotionally trying time. |
| LaFleur is one of more than 6,000 people certified in | | | | The training proved to be particularly helpful to Lynn |
| Mental Health First Aid since the training was | | | | Corwin last January when two fellow employees |
| introduced in the United States two years ago by | | | | walked into her office in a panic. They told Corwin, |
| the National Council for Community Behavioral | | | | director of human resources at the organization, that |
| Healthcare along with the Maryland Department of | | | | a co-worker was extremely upset about the recent |
| Health and Mental Hygiene and the Missouri | | | | earthquake in Haiti. The distressed young woman had |
| Department of Mental Health. | | | | a close friend in Haiti and had been unable to contact |
| Those who participate in the 12-hour Mental Health | | | | the person for five days. Fearing the worst, the |
| First Aid course learn a five-step process to assess a | | | | woman was having difficulty managing her emotions, |
| situation, select and implement appropriate | | | | let alone being able to work. |
| interventions and help a person developing signs and | | | | While the two workers had no idea how to deal with |
| symptoms of mental illness or in crisis receive | | | | the situation, Corwin sprung into action. |
| appropriate care. Participants also learn about the risk | | | | "I used what I learned in the course to calm the |
| factors and warning signs of specific illnesses such as | | | | woman down and talk with her about how she's |
| anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addiction. | | | | feeling," says Corwin. "I explained to her that it was |
| Evaluations show that the evidence-based Mental | | | | OK to be upset, and to not be embarrassed about |
| Health First Aid program saves lives, expands people's | | | | it." |
| knowledge of mental illnesses and their treatments, | | | | "The training left me with a greater sense of |
| and reduces the stigma associated with mental illness | | | | confidence about how to deal with a variety of |
| by helping people understand and accept mental | | | | people issues that come up in every office," |
| illness as a medical condition. One trial of 301 | | | | concludes Heenan. "There's such a stigma around |
| randomized participants found that those who took | | | | mental health and people don't want to talk about it, |
| the training had greater confidence in providing help | | | | so having the information gives me confidence that I'll |
| to others, greater likelihood of advising people to | | | | be able to handle these types of situations when |
| seek professional help, and decreased stigmatizing | | | | they arise. |