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Objective: This study aimed to assess the help that older Japanese adults would provide to a person experiencing depression or schizophrenia. Method: In 2017, 1000 Japanese adults aged 70–79 completed an online survey of mental health literacy and stigma. They were randomly allocated a vignette of a person experiencing either major depression or chronic schizophrenia and answered an open-ended question about how they would help the person. Verbatim responses were scored according to a scheme based on the fourth edition of the Mental Health First Aid action plan that assesses the quality of first aid intentions. Results: The most commonly mentioned first aid intentions were encouraging appropriate professional help and listening and communicating non-judgementally. The intentions mentioned least often were assessing and assisting with crisis situations and encouraging other supports. Total quality scores ranged between 0 and 6. The average score across both vignettes was 1.49 out of 12. Participants receiving the depression vignette scored, on average, significantly higher than those receiving the schizophrenia vignette. Discussion: Older Japanese adults' first aid intentions are of relatively low quality. This group would benefit from additional information about supportive first aid actions, for example, through Mental Health First Aid courses for older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Gambling is increasingly identified as a public health concern as it carries a risk of harm for the person who gambles, friends and family, and the broader community. Mental Health First Aid® (MHFA) Australia's Conversations About Gambling course is an early intervention program that teaches members of the public how to support someone experiencing harm from their gambling. Although the course improves participants mental health literacy and reduces stigma, its uptake has wavered compared to other similar MHFA courses, prompting the present study to investigate enablers and barriers to its implementation. Methods: Online interviews and one focus group were conducted with 12 participants (six licenced MHFA instructors and six individuals from key partner organisations). Course implementation and uptake were explored. Results: Thematic analysis identified a positive regard for the course among participants. Key themes related to implementation included: course-specific, implementation and process, and structural factors. Discussion: This qualitative study identified the critical role of strong collaborative relationships with established industry providers for successful program uptake. It also pointed to the need for additional subject-specific consultation to identify a format and delivery method suited for the unique societal factors that impact course implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mental health first aid (MHFA) courses teach community members the knowledge and skills needed to recognize and respond to mental health problems until professional help is received or the crisis resolves. This study aimed to develop a reliable and valid measure of MHFA behaviors. A pool of actions that were recommended and not recommended were selected from MHFA guidelines and developed into two scales measuring either intended or provided support. Items were tested with a sample of 697 adults. Item response theory guided the selection of final items. The Mental Health Support Scale (MHSS) Intended version has 23 items across two subscales and the MHSS–Provided has 12 items across two subscales. These scales demonstrated convergent validity, discrimination between respondents with and without MHFA expertise, and acceptable measurement precision across a range of skill levels. Overall, findings suggest that the MHSS is a valid and useful measure of MHFA behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate reasons for not helping a person experiencing a mental health problem, and explore factors associated with not offering help. Methods: Data were collected as part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in the workplace conducted with 608 Australian adults. Participants were asked if a colleague, friend, or family member had any mental health problem in the last 12 months, whether they had tried to help them, and reasons for not helping. These reasons were content analysed and predictors of not helping were explored with logistic regression. Results: A minority of participants did not offer help, with reasons for not helping (n = 107) related to the recipient already being helped, characteristics of the recipient such as perceived illness type, the type of relationship between helper and recipient, distance or time barriers, and a lack of skills or knowledge. Conclusions: Some reasons for not helping cannot be modified but others could be used to inform the curricula of MHFA or other gatekeeper training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to identify Australian adults' current level of confidence and intentions to help a person close to them in distress or at risk of suicide to inform the content and targeting of suicide prevention messages aimed at family and friends of those at risk.Methods: We conducted a nationally representative computer-assisted telephone survey of confidence and intentions to help someone in distress or at risk of suicide (n = 3,002). We used logistic regression to determine whether sociodemographic and exposure variables predicted confidence and intentions to help.Results: Confidence to help was high. About half of the respondents had intentions inconsistent with best practice. Listening and talking, and encouraging the person to seek professional help were the most common types of intended helping actions. Intentions to ask suicide risk assessment questions were least common. Men were more likely than women to have intentions to carry out nonrecommended actions, and less likely to have intentions to carry out recommended actions.Conclusions: Suicide prevention messaging aimed at family and friends could encourage them to ask direct questions about suicide risk and could include messages about "what not to do." Suicide prevention messages aimed specifically at men are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]