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Promoting Mental Health Among Medical Students: The Role of Mental Health First Aid Training in U.S. Medical Education

Presenters:
Laura Hurley, MPH, Rush University Medical Center, [email protected]
Sreedivya Veturi, MD, Saint James School of Medicine, [email protected]
Parastoo Taravati, Saint James School of Medicine, [email protected]
Raj C. Shah MD, Rush University Medical Center

Collaborators:
Lauren Turich MD MPH, Illinois Academy of Family Physicians
Daniel Bester MD, Illinois Academy of Family Physicians
Sarah Thilges PhD, Loyola University Medical Center
Kate L. Goldhaber PhD, Loyola University Medical Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Objectives:
1.    On completion of this session, participants should be able to describe the value of Mental Health First Aid training for medical students.
2.    On completion of this session, participants should be able to identify trends of reported benefits of Mental Health First Aid training among medical students based on mandatory vs. self-selected participation.

Methods:
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) empowers participants to recognize and provide first aid to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Despite the prevalence of mental health illness among patients and medical professionals, little evidence exists on the value of MHFA training for medical students. Certified trainers led MHFA courses at two Illinois institutions. From 2018-2020, Youth MHFA courses were hosted for 63 self-selected medical students at Rush University, with support from the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians. While in 2019, Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine offered Adult MHFA courses for 159 first-year medical students. All participants completed post-training surveys; the mean ratings were compared using a t-test.

Results:
Comparisons of participant rankings of the course, confidence in recognizing signs, and offering first aid between adult vs youth MHFA were not statistically different. Overall, there was a higher frequency of rankings of 4 or lower regarding their confidence in applying skills, as opposed to rankings of the course itself.

Conclusions:
Comparisons of participant rankings of the course, confidence in recognizing signs, and offering first aid between adult vs youth MHFA were not statistically different. Overall, there was a higher frequency of rankings of 4 or lower regarding their confidence in applying skills, as opposed to rankings of the course itself.