Mental Health Awareness Week – Mental Health Literacy & First Aid

Category: Blog

Content Warning: Please be advised that this blog covers sensitive topics relating to mental health, depression and suicide.

Written by Leah Higgins, CILIPS Digital Officer

Most people in the workplace value a first aider. Any bumps, trips or cuts they’re the first port of call. Generally we’re all expected to have some level of health and safety training or first aid in the workplace. But what happens when someone is struggling mentally? Especially in libraries, those daily dealings with the public, students, fellow colleagues, family and friends are probably more likely to expose you to someone who is struggling or in crisis. This Mental Health Awareness Week, I’d like to share my experience in attending Scottish Mental Health First Aid Training, explaining exactly why we need to invest just as much in mental wellbeing as we do physical wellbeing in the workplace (and beyond). Shame attached to mental illness is so prevalent in society, but we wouldn’t be ashamed of breaking a leg – so why should we feel ashamed about struggling with our mental health? 1 in 4 Scottish adults will face mental health challenges in a year, and it’s time to start taking this seriously.

Up until I attended my training, I felt that my own mental health literacy was not where I needed it to be, despite having dealt with people in a state of crisis. The accompanying fear in this scenario is that you make the situation worse, or the apprehension that ‘you might put an idea in someone’s head.’ At my training, we learned that the only act that could make something worse is not acting. I learned in this course how to identify the signs that someone may need support, how to approach them with this offer, how to ask the hard questions, and what the outcomes might be. Obviously each will be a case by case basis, and you can only plan so much. I came away with a renewed confidence in my actions, knowing that I have the knowledge to make informed decisions to the best of my ability. I certainly think that those in the library and information sector could benefit from this training, although I would caveat this with the fact that it is an intense and at times challenging training course. There’s no light way to talk about suicide or self harm, but it is so absolutely crucial that we do to dismantle the stigma attached.

We covered many topics over the course of the two day training including:

• Psychosis
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Self Harm
• Suicide
• Recovery
• Listening skills
• And attitudes towards mental health

There were several elements about the way the course was conducted that I appreciated. The first, which I’m sure will also appeal to this audience, is how evidence-based the content was. The entire course was created and accredited by Public Health Scotland, and the accompanying manual and slides had various references and sources which could be further researched. The physical manual is full of links and resources which can be used to signpost to, including links to Breathing Space, NHS 111, Scottish Action on Mental Health, Samaritans, MIND, and the Scottish Recovery Network. It’s important to note that if someone is at serious risk to themselves or others you should never hesitate to contact emergency services, this is absolutely the right thing to do. Don’t doubt your judgement!

I wanted to include a nod to SAMH’s new service called The Nook, as it may really benefit anyone looking for some mental health support. As we know, provision for this on the NHS is stretched and private support isn’t attainable for most people. The Nook is a free walk-in mental health support hub and there are plans to have a few across Scotland. There is no waiting list or NHS referral needed, click here to see more.

Our trainer was a wonderful lady called Oluwatoyin Opeloyeru, who led the course with integrity and also shared lots of personal knowledge and experiences. The small cohort really benefitted from such a great instructor, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, who led various exercises and performed wellbeing check-ins throughout.

This was our group for the two days with our instructor Toyin.

The Mental Health Continuum was an intriguing element of the course, which I’ve included below. Each quadrant explains the combination of the elements on the x and y axis. Maximum wellbeing or minimum wellbeing combined with either maximum mental health problems or minimum mental health problems. For example, someone diagnosed as bipolar can move between the upper and lower left hand quadrants because they have a diagnosis which they can manage to become mentally well, but will always have. Whereas someone suffering from a period of depression may be able to move from the lower right hand quadrant to the top right hand quadrant. This is also helpful in dispelling the myth that those with a diagnosed mental health condition cannot live a mentally well life, or those who do not have a diagnosis can’t be struggling.

The mental Health continuum from Mental Health First Aid England.

Another notable exercise was tackling and dismantling our own and others’ biases when it comes to mental health, like the ideas that people who self harm or attempt suicide are doing it to seek attention, mental health days are a “skive”, or that recovery isn’t possible. Each culture, family, workplace, individual etc., will have biases and triggers at play. We have to put aside our own when assisting someone in immediate or impending crisis. For example, we may feel strongly against drug use, but if someone is struggling with drug abuse that is impacting their mental wellbeing, it’s important to offer them the right support and resources, and unpack our own feelings later.

There are lots of general socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions which can impact how we view and respond to mental health. Specific groups and individuals within them may require tailored support, but also may be more susceptible to becoming mentally unwell. It’s important to recognise that certain groups may be more disadvantaged when accessing support and resources. For example, LGBT Youth Scotland’s 2023 Health Report found that ‘Trans participants report experiencing suicidal thoughts/ actions at almost double the rate of cisgender participants’. Another example from the Mental Health Foundation states that ‘Black people are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than White people’. Rethink Mental Illness also adds that ‘refugees and asylum seekers are more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population, including higher rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD’.

One upsetting element of the training was the annual suicide statistics for Scotland. As National Records for Scotland have shared, ‘in 2023, there were 792 probable suicide deaths in Scotland, an increase of 30 (4%) on the previous year’. As a qualified mental health first aider we’re taught, just as regular first aiders are, that the main objective of providing aid is preservation of life. One skill I learned on this course was how to become a better active listener, which is especially important when faced with the tricky and sensitive topic of suicide. This is the act of asking someone the appropriate questions and allowing them to talk without interrupting or attempting to relate to them with your own experiences. A person needs to feel heard and trying to relate runs the risk of overriding their story in favour of your own. Body language is also important: make sure you are facing them, making suitable eye contact, nodding and providing affirmative words such as ‘yes,’ ‘I understand,’ and ‘okay’. You should also ask follow up questions where relevant to assess the nature of their distress, and subsequently the support you can offer. Sometimes you can offer to sit with them whilst they phone the doctor, or contact a service like Breathing Space. This support is still helpful even if you don’t feel that you can say the right thing at that moment.

We also learned to ask the difficult question of: are you thinking about taking your life/attempting suicide? Another important thing to assess at the time is, do they have a method or the means to do this? If the answer is yes then you should never leave them alone and contact the relevant emergency services. Or better yet allow them to make the phone call if the situation allows. Asking someone this will not put the idea in their head and equally we can only offer so much support, we are ultimately not responsible for their actions at any point. Asking this question at the right time could ultimately be a lifeline for someone struggling so much that they aren’t capable of seeing that recovery is possible. We learned that recovery isn’t just possible, it’s likely.

There was far too much information and learning to fit into a blog, but I feel really passionately about sharing this more widely, with the eventuality that it might help someone in the future. If you suspect someone is struggling, the smallest actions can make a huge difference. If you’d like to become a Scottish Mental Health First Aider then there are many sessions which take place across Scotland throughout the year. I’m also happy to answer any questions you may have about my experience of the course via email (leah.higgins@cilips.org.uk).

If you are able to link this course to the Professional Knowledge and Skills Base then you may consider applying for funding support to access it through our Professional Development Fund. It aims to provide financial assistance to members wishing to undertake professional development activities related to enhancing skills in the information profession, and prioritises applications from those undertaking Professional Registration. Click here to see more.

Click here to see upcoming dates for the Scottish Mental Health First Aid course.