Become an Armed Forces Mental Health First Aider

Would you know how to help?

One in four of us will experience a mental health issue at some point in our life, but there are members of our community who face unique risks and challenges to their mental health.

Long periods of time away from family during service, exposure to high stress situations and trauma, and the difficulty of adjusting between military and civilian life – all can impact on the mental health of serving and ex-serving personnel and their families.

“It can strike anybody. It has no respect to rank, it has no respect to appointment.” John Stokoe, Retired Major General

The most common ways these stressors impact on members of the armed forces are depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol misuse.

Just like the rest of the population, stigma and lack of awareness around our mental health compared to our physical health is often a barrier to armed forces personnel getting the treatment they need to recover.

In 2015/16, 3.2% of UK armed forces personnel were assessed with a mental health disorder – over 6,000 people. Many more go undiagnosed and untreated.

Train as an Armed Forces Mental Health First Aider (MHFAider®)

MHFA® training courses teach people to spot the symptoms of mental health issues, offer initial help and guide a person towards support.

MHFA® won’t teach you to be a therapist, but it will teach you to listen, reassure and respond, even in a crisis – and even potentially stop a crisis from happening.

Developed in collaboration with the UK’s leading military support charities, Armed Forces MHFA is tailored to the unique culture and mental health needs of the military community. For everyone in the armed forces community – serving and ex-serving personnel, their families and support organisations – our training gives you the skills to:

• Stop a preventable health issue from escalating by spotting and addressing it early
• Know how and where to access treatment if it’s needed, for a faster recovery
• Help keep yourself, the people you support, your colleagues and your family healthy
• Minimise the impact of mental ill health on work and life

When is the training?

The next Armed Forces MHFA training will be held from 9am to 4pm on the 19th and 20th of April at Age UK Northumberland, The Round House, Lintonville Parkway, Ashington, NE63 9JZ.

The training is free. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided, however attendees will need to bring their own lunch or make use of the onsite café.

To book your place, please call Michael on 07977 071568 or email michael.mccaughey@ageuk-northumberland.org.uk.