Instructors’ experience and acceptance of online mental health training: implementation considerations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated physical distancing restrictions, Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA™) face-to-face instruction was paused and existing courses were rapidly redeveloped for online delivery. The new MHFA Blended Online course comprises a self-paced eLearning component and 2 × 2.5-h synchronous video conferencing sessions led by an Instructor. This study uses a qualitative approach to explore Instructors’ experiences and perspectives on pivoting to online MHFA training and whether Instructors perceived whether their teaching style, skill instruction and capacity to engage students translated to an online mode. Methods: Online interviews with 20 Blended Online MHFA course Instructors explored their experiences of the course in six areas: (1) what worked well, (2) what did not work well, (3) feasibility, (4) acceptability, (5) ease of delivery and (6) perceived effectiveness. Results and discussion: Thematic analysis identified that Instructors had favourable experiences with online delivery. Experiences with technology, facilitation and engagement, beliefs about effectiveness, and perceptions of safety are explored, and key challenges discussed. Conclusion: This qualitative study identified that MHFA Blended Online courses are perceived by Instructors as acceptable and effective, though online delivery comes with specific challenges. Implications for future course implementation are discussed.