How Parents Can Learn Mental Health First Aid (and Why You Should)

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Maybe you learned how to use an Epipen when your child was diagnosed with food allergy; you took a CPR course before your baby was born; and you have first aid supplies stashed in your car, office, and home. Injuries and accidents are inevitable in life, and we want to be prepared.

But the reality is that one out of five youth and adolescents has a mental health condition—so shouldn’t parents be prepared to provide first aid for mental health as well? You can learn skills now to recognize signs of a problem and help your child find the appropriate professional help if they need it. if you've ever tried to help someone through a mental health crisis, you know how frightening and helpless you can feel—so why not empower yourself now, just in case your child experiences a crisis down the road?

What is Mental Health First Aid?

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is training to help someone who is in a mental health crisis, or just beginning to have a mental health problem. This type of training can be especially useful for parents and people who work with children, like teachers and coaches.

You can choose between taking a course to help adults with mental health problems or a course tailored for helping adolescents, aged 12-18. In both cases, you can choose between in-person training (if it’s available in your area), blended in-person (with a virtual component and a live component), or a completely virtual course.

What you’ll learn

A one-day MFHA course usually takes about six to eight hours, covering discussion topics, exercises, and opportunities to practice your new skills.

The youth MFHA training course emphasizes early intervention, since 75 percent of mental illnesses start by the time a person is in their mid-20s.

Mental health first aid is based on a five-step action plan called ALGEE:

Assess for risk of suicide or harm.

Listen without judgment.

Give reassurance and information.

Encourage appropriate professional help.

Encourage self-help and other support strategies.

You will also learn warning signs and risk factors for mental health problems like eating disorders, ADHD, depression, mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, and substance abuse. During training, you will become familiar with information about treatment options and self-help strategies so you can share those options with the person you’re helping. You will be able to support young people experiencing the following situations:

Panic attacks

Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

Nonsuicidal self-injury

Hallucinations or delusions

Overdose or withdrawal from substances

A traumatic event

Bullying

Social media problems

Besides taking in information through the course materials and lecture, you will have opportunities to practice through role-playing.

Benefits for parents

Any teen could experience one of the mental health scenarios listed above, and many parents may not know where to start supporting them. It may feel powerless to tell your child to “calm down” or “cheer up” and see no improvement in their mental state. MHFA training teaches you how to assess their symptoms, start conversations, and reach out for professional help.

While the goal is to teach you to help someone struggling with their mental health, a nice side benefit is that your mental health literacy will increase too. Research shows that MHFA training improves the mental health of both the trainee and the person they support.

Other benefits of MHFA training:

Reduced stigma around mental illness and substance use

Increased empathy

More confidence to help someone in distress

Learning tools to support your own mental health

How to find an MHFA course

Follow this link to find the right mental health first aid training option for you. Filter courses by location, date, language, and in-person or virtual. The course is usually completed in one day and may cost $50-100.