Innovation update: Mental Health First Aid training

A widely available training program in Canada successfully boosts pharmacists’ ability to support patients with mental-health problems—including during times of crisis. And patients themselves are more receptive when they know the pharmacist has received such training.

With funding from CFP’s Innovation Fund, Christine Leong, Associate Professor at the College of Pharmacy, University of Manitoba, researched the impact of the Mental Health First Aid | (MHFA) training program, offered by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, on community pharmacists’ attitudes and actions with patients experiencing mental-health challenges. “On the pharmacist side there is literature suggesting that they’re not comfortable and they don’t feel that they have enough training to speak with patients about mental-health issues,” says Leong.

Her research measured levels of self-efficacy (or personal confidence), attitudes and stigma before and after the MHFA training.

“It offers a tool for pharmacists,” says Leong. “Without the training, pharmacists would commonly ask themselves, ‘Do I refer the patient, do I call 911?’ It tends to be very reactionary and in the moment. After the training they feel more comfortable sitting with the patient to engage in active listening…then trying to find a resource or service that might resonate with that patient, rather than just sending them off to urgent care.”

Sixteen participants (13 community pharmacists and three PharmD students) completed all components of the study in early 2021. The biggest difference in self-efficacy occurred in the area of suicide and harm-risk assessment. Before completing the MHFA training, 47% of participants described themselves as being confident to help patients in this area; after the training, that number rose to 100%.

The study also asked Canadian adults to describe their encounters with pharmacists and perceptions of the pharmacist’s role in caring for patients experiencing a mental-health disorder. Results from 228 respondents to an online survey found that 54% would be comfortable speaking with a pharmacist about their mental-health problems, increasing to 62% when the pharmacist is MHFA-trained. Almost two-thirds (65%) agreed that pharmacists should be trained in MHFA.

“Seeing that increase in comfort talking to pharmacists who have received training suggests there is room for improvement, whether it’s in pharmacy education or in continuing education,” says Leong. “I liken it to physical first aid training for pharmacists, which needs to be renewed every three years. There is value for pharmacists to have continued training in mental health as well, to be more comfortable in practice.”

Ideally, the goal is for the MHFA program—or an adaptation of it, geared more toward the patient experience within the context of pharmacy practice—to be part of the curriculum for all pharmacy students. “I’m speaking with a few faculties of pharmacy about how to roll this out more widely across Canada,” says Leong. “While we do already study mental health in school, it’s a clinical therapeutic topic. I think pharmacists could benefit from training on mental health first aid training during crisis situations.”

The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s MHFA standard program includes seven hours of live classroom learning (in-person or virtual). At the time of the research in 2021, the cost was $125 to $225 per individual (depending on the instructor). Group rates are available. The Commission also offers MHFA programs targeted to certain populations, including older adults, youth and First Nations.