Using Mental Health First Aid Training to Improve the Mental Health Literacy of Physiotherapy Students

Purpose: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training has been proven to improve the literacy of trainees and reduce the stigma they may have toward individuals with mental health problems in the general population. Our research was designed to determine whether MHFA training had an impact on physiotherapy students' attitudes toward psychiatry and mental illness, their confidence to engage with people with mental health problems, and their preparedness for practice. Method: Final-year students from one university who had finished MHFA training completed a questionnaire that included the Attitudes Toward Psychiatry-30 and questions about their perceived confidence in working with people with mental illness and preparedness for practice. Their responses were compared with those from a previous cohort of students at the same point in their university education who had not completed MHFA training. Results: The students who had completed MHFA training (response rate 83%) had a more positive attitude toward psychiatry and mental illness than those who had not (p < 0.001). Their confidence in treating people with mental health problems also increased, and to a statistically significant extent (p < 0.001). Conclusions: MHFA training appeared to improve students' attitudes toward psychiatry and mental health, increase their confidence in treating people with mental health problems, and better prepare them for practice.