Mental Health First Aid Training with the Nepalese Community in Australia: An Evaluation of Effects on Knowledge, Confidence, Intentions, Willingness to have Contact and Stigmatizing Attitudes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training amongst the Nepalese community in Australia by exploring the impact on knowledge about mental health first aid, confidence and intentions to help, willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness. We hypothesized that since MHFA has been extensively evaluated with other communities and has been found to be effective, it would therefore be effective with this community as well. MHFA training was conducted by an accredited Nepalese-Australian MHFA Instructor with 162 participants from the Nepalese community in four states of Australia. Participants completed an evaluation questionnaire prior to the training (pre-test) and at the end of the training (post-test). The evaluation questionnaire assessed participants? knowledge about what was taught in the course, ability to recognize depression as described in a vignette, confidence in providing help, intentions to provide help, and willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness. There were large improvements from pre-test to post-test in knowledge, confidence and intentions to help, medium improvements in willingness to have contact, small-to-medium improvements in stigmatizing attitudes and small improvements in recognition of depression. Participants gave high ratings of the course and the instructor. MHFA training produced improvements in knowledge, confidence, intentions, willingness to have contact and stigmatizing attitudes. The training was also well received. Further research is needed to assess persistence of these effects following the course and any changes in mental health first aid provided to the community.