Promoting mental well-being in the workplace – the benefits of Mental Health First Aider training

As workloads increase and life outside of work brings its own pressures, it’s more important than ever for businesses to prioritise employee well-being. With greater awareness around mental health, it’s the forward-thinking companies that understand the value of taking proactive steps to support their team’s welfare.

In Mental Health UK’s January 2024 Burnout Report, it found that one in five employees needed to take time off work due to poor mental health caused by pressure or stress in the past year.

One powerful initiative that’s been gaining a lot of traction in recent years is Mental Health First Aider (MHFA) training. Just as first aid is vital in addressing physical health issues, MHFA equips a team to provide initial support to those experiencing mental health challenges.

That’s why all our line managers are required to have MHFA training, so our entire team can experience the benefits.

What is Mental Health First Aider training?

You can’t serve from an empty vessel. So, there’s also an emphasis on the importance of self-care for the team members who attend the training. Participants are taught how to manage their own mental well-being while providing effective support to others.

Mental Health First Aider certification

Our team are now certified Mental Health First Aiders, providing invaluable support within our agency. They’re now equipped to provide initial support, guiding colleagues towards professional help, and promoting a mentally healthy workplace. This training is not a one-off; it’s part of an ongoing commitment to adapt and respond to the evolving needs of our team and the world around us. As the workplace changes, so too will their expertise, ensuring they remain an invaluable asset in supporting mental wellbeing.

At the end of the day, the happiness of our team impacts on the service we provide to our clients, and we know that we’re rewarded with better working relationships and better results when we’re all feeling and performing at our best.

Benefits of mental well-being in business

The value of Mental Health First Aider training goes beyond boosting individual well-being – it’s a powerful step towards building a healthier, more productive workplace. By prioritising our team’s mental health, we’re investing in a culture rooted in compassion and understanding, where everyone can thrive.

Further benefits of encouraging mental well-being include:

• Opening lines of communication

• Providing an opportunity for early intervention

• Creating a more compassionate workforce

• Encouraging empathic leadership skills

• Improving job satisfaction

• Improving productivity

To further understand the great benefits we’ve gained from MHFA training, I asked some of our Line Managers to discuss the outcomes from their training sessions.

Trevor Ede – Creative Director 

The two-day Mental Health First Aider training helped me gain the confidence to identify people who could be experiencing poor mental health and to offer initial support. 

We practised active listening and empathy in the class; and our goal is to provide assistance rather than attempt to fix the issue. We learned to listen without passing judgement, which is a crucial skill I can apply every day – this was one of the most important things I took away from the course. 

Listening without passing judgement…was one of the most important things I took away.

A few role-playing exercises were included that helped us learn how to strike up an initial discussion. There were ten people on the course, representing both large and small industries. However, they all shared the same end objective, which was simply to be able to assist employees’ well-being.  

Su Brookes – Executive Account Director

I’m really pleased I attended this course as I learnt a great deal. Gaining a better understanding of the many, many different ways mental health affects people, and those around them, it was eye opening and validating at the same time.  

Focusing on listening and empathising, rather than giving opinion or well-meant, but unfounded advice is key. Whether at work, or indeed anywhere, the MHFA course will help me to recognise signs of mental ill health, reassure, and respond, even in a crisis, and signpost people to the support needed. 

I recommend it to all line managers.

Cath Kershaw – Studio Manager 

The two-day Mental Health First Aid course I attended was both informative and insightful – it taught me some key skills needed to recognise symptoms of poor mental health, both in and away from the workplace, and the best ways to provide support. 

It provided some extremely useful tools, such as access to the Mental Health First Aider Support App, which includes a comprehensive list of different support organisations.   

On a practical level, the course provided a clear action plan for mental health first aid – how to initially approach, assess and assist someone; how to listen and communicate non-judgementally; how to give emotional and practical support and information (and never to try to give advice); when to encourage professional help and lastly, encouraging other supports.   

The course addressed our own self-care as well as others and it left me feeling a lot more confident in providing support to anyone experiencing poor mental health.

I found the course invaluable. 

So is it worth the investment? 

The simple answer is: Yes! Cultivating a mentally healthy workplace isn’t just the right thing to do for your team; it also makes sound business sense. And we’d encourage any business to invest in MHFA training and the well-being of their employees. 

For more information on Mental Health First Aider training and available courses in the UK you can visit MHFA England.