Award in Mental Health First Aid Course Schedule

The Importance of Providing For Mental Health

There is still a considerable lack of understanding surrounding mental ill health and many misconceptions persist with regard to its impact. It is still far to often considered a sign of weakness, which it clearly is not, and an improved understanding of mental health issues throughout orgnisations is important as:

• mental ill health is very common – the Department of Health advises that one in four of us will experience it at some point in our lives
• individuals with positive mental health are more likely to work productively, interact well with colleagues and adapt to changes in the workplace environment
  
• individuals who feel supported by their employer are more likely to be able to stay in work or return to work after a period of absence, reducing long-term absences throughout the organisation
• individuals who feel unable to talk to their line manager may attend work when they are too ill to safely carry out their duties, leading to an increased health and safety risk
• if mental ill health is not treated, the pressures of it can cause other ‘secondary symptoms’ i.e. the strain of coping with depression may lead to an individual becoming dependent on alcohol or drugs.