Youth First Aid for Mental Health Training

What is Youth Mental Health First Aid?

First aid for mental health is the initial support provided to a young person experiencing a mental health problem until professional help is received or until the crisis is resolved.

Who Should Take This Qualification?

This qualification is suitable for anyone who actively connects with children such as parents, teachers, youth workers, youth group leaders and young adults.

The Aims of Youth Mental Health First Aid Training:

 • Preserve life where a young person could be a danger to themselves or others.

 • Alleviate suffering by providing immediate comfort and support.

 • Help prevent issues arising before they become a crisis.

 • Promote recovery of good mental health by signposting and obtaining professional support.

Youth Mental Health Statistics 2020

• One in 6 (16%) of children aged 5 to 16 years old were identified as having a probable mental disorder, increasing from one in 9 in 2017.

• During the Covid-19 pandemic, children with a probable mental health disorder had a parent who was more likely to think that their child felt afraid to leave the house (18%) than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (5.1%).

Source - NHS

Who should attend a Youth First Aid for Mental Health course?

This course is suitable for anyone who actively connects with children or young people such as carers, teachers and young adults.

The course duration is approximately 6 hours and is available to learners aged 14 or over. We recommend that all learners should hold a minimum of a level 1 in literacy in order to undertake this course.

What is covered in the Youth First Aid for Mental Health course?

This qualification has been designed with children and young people in mind covering many areas including depression, self-harm, eating disorders and bullying. The course will provide the knowledge and skills to identify a potential mental health condition, start a conversation, and provide support and guidance to professional help where needed.

Course Outline

• What is first aid for youth mental health?

• Identifying mental health conditions.

• Stress.

• Mental health conditions.

• Drugs and alcohol.

• First aid action plan for mental health.