First Aid Strategies
The five steps in providing Mental Health First Aid are:
- Assess risk of harm to person or others.
- Listen non-judgmentally.
- Give reassurance and information.
- Encourage person to get appropriate professional help if needed.
- Encourage self-help strategies.
How to help someone going through a mental health crisis:
A mental health crisis may occur when a person may feel suicidal, a person may be having anxiety attacks, a person may be in an acute stress reaction or a person may be out of touch with reality in a distressing psychotic state. Here are some general strategies you can use to help:
- Introduce yourself and explain why you are present.
- Remain courteous and non-threatening, but be honest and direct.
- Listen to the person in a non-judgmental way.
- Avoid confrontation at all costs - be prepared to "agree to differ" with the person's perspective.
- Clarify and address what the person sees as the major issues first (not what you, the helper, see as the major concerns).
- Do not attempt to manhandle the patient, except to prevent serious assault or suicide attempts.
- Encourage / assist person to receive professional mental health help.
- Finally, if the incident was traumatic for you, or you feel anxious or distressed, discuss these issues with a friend or a professional service.