The increasing focus on mental health reflects how important it is. Good mental health contributes to a healthy and fulfilling life and helps us maintain relationships, friendships and stable working lives.
Mental and physical health can affect one another, but good mental health does not guarantee that someone will avoid physical illness.
Poor mental health can affect our personal and working lives. It can cause distress, loneliness, or isolation, and each person’s experience is different.
Employers are increasingly considering initiatives they can implement in the workplace to support mental health. One such initiative is the introduction of mental health first aiders. But what is the role of a mental health first aider, and how can they help?
Like regular first aid for physical injuries, mental health first aid provides initial support. It can help someone recognise possible signs of mental ill health, start a supportive conversation and signpost the person to appropriate help.
The purpose of mental health first aid is to:
- Preserve life where a person may be at immediate risk of harm to themselves or others
- Help prevent the situation from worsening
- Support the person to access appropriate professional, workplace or community help
- Provide comfort and reassurance
Mental health problems and physical illnesses can both be difficult to see. Signs vary and do not establish a diagnosis, so a mental health first aider should check in respectfully rather than make assumptions or attempt a clinical assessment.
Mental health first aiders are employees who complete relevant training and volunteer to be available when a colleague needs initial support.
A mental health first aider may notice changes in a colleague’s usual behaviour, such as becoming more withdrawn, having difficulty concentrating or changes in attendance.
These signs have many possible causes and do not confirm a mental health problem. Acas advises employers not to make assumptions. A first aider should check in privately, listen and let the person explain what is happening.
To put it simply, a mental health first aider is a point of contact for an employee who may be experiencing a mental health issue. They complement managers, HR, occupational health, employee assistance programmes and clinical services; they do not replace them.
The mental health first aider role may include:
- Recognising possible signs that someone may be struggling
- Starting a private, supportive conversation without making assumptions
- Listening without judgement and providing initial reassurance
- Helping the person find relevant internal, professional or community support
- Following emergency, safeguarding and reporting procedures when risk is immediate
- Maintaining confidentiality and agreed role boundaries
Similar to physical first aid, mental health first aid training does not teach someone to diagnose, treat or provide therapy. Instead, it teaches them to provide initial support and signposting until appropriate help is available.
Contact with someone experiencing mental health problems may be as simple as having a non-judgemental conversation, lending a friendly ear or helping them find appropriate professional support.
Seeking help is up to the individual in most cases. The mental health first aider cannot force change; they can only encourage and support it. If there is an immediate risk of serious harm or a safeguarding concern, the first aider must follow the organisation’s emergency procedures and seek appropriate help.
A mental health first aider should explain the role and the limits of confidentiality before a sensitive conversation.
Information should normally remain private and be shared only on a need-to-know basis. Confidentiality cannot be promised when there is a risk of harm, a safeguarding concern or another legal requirement to disclose.
If someone’s life is at risk or they cannot be kept safe, call 999 or go to A&E. In England, urgent mental health help through the NHS is available by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option, or through an urgent GP appointment. Elsewhere in the UK, use the relevant NHS urgent mental health service. Samaritans offers free listening support on 116 123 but does not replace emergency services.
Employers should give first aiders a written role description, clear referral and emergency routes, agreed availability and ongoing support. First aiders should not be expected to be available at all times or to carry cases alone.
Many people can take mental health first aid training, and a clinical background is not normally required. In a workplace, however, completing a course should not be the only criterion for taking on the role.
People with a keen interest in mental health and wellbeing may gravitate to the role. Suitable volunteers should understand its limits, have time to perform it, be able to maintain confidentiality and feel able to have sensitive conversations. Participation should be voluntary, and people should be able to step back from the role.
If an employer appoints mental health first aiders, it should provide appropriate training, a clear remit, time during work, referral and crisis procedures, refresher training and ongoing support. Supporting people in distress can affect a first aider’s wellbeing, so supervision, peer support and permission to pause are important.
Mental health first aiders can make initial peer support easier to access, improve awareness of available help and encourage more informed conversations about mental health.
They should be one part of an organisation’s wider approach, not a substitute for prevention or professional services.
In Great Britain, employers must assess and manage work-related stress. HSE’s first-aid guidance says a first-aid needs assessment should consider workers’ mental health and that trained people may be helpful, but it does not require employers to appoint mental health first aiders.
When the role is properly supported, it can provide:
- An additional route to initial peer support
- Prompt signposting to appropriate help
- Better awareness of internal and external support
- A visible challenge to stigma and judgement
Evidence for organisation-level or recipient outcomes remains limited. A 2023 Cochrane review found very low-certainty evidence for many outcomes and could not draw firm conclusions about benefits for people receiving help. Higher productivity, fewer accidents or lower staff turnover should therefore be treated as possible aims, not guaranteed results.
Despite greater awareness, stigma around mental health and fear of judgement can still prevent people from asking for help. A mental health first aider can help challenge stigma by encouraging open, non-judgemental communication and avoiding assumptions.
This responsibility does not rest with first aiders alone. Clear policies, supportive management, reasonable adjustments, action on workplace risks and reliable access to support also matter.
Human Focus Mental Health First Aid Training provides knowledge and supporting guidance on mental health first aid, common mental health conditions and risk factors, the role of a mental health first aider and sources of reliable information and support. The course is certified by the CPD Certification Service and includes a digital certificate on completion.
Completion does not by itself make a learner competent, qualified or authorised for workplace tasks, and it does not qualify them to diagnose, treat or provide clinical mental health support. Learners should follow their employer’s procedures, risk assessments and supervision.
