The increasing awareness about mental health at work is hugely positive, says 麻豆原创 Workplace Division chair Nicola Neath following a debate in Parliament about mental health first aid.
But Nicola says mental health first aid should only be used as part of a wider approach to mental health at work, which includes access to therapeutic practice and organisation-level interventions to increase organisational awareness and competence.
She said: 鈥淚t is very positive that there is so much awareness about mental health at work and that the Government and employers want to do more to help and support staff.
鈥淗owever, mental health first aid can only be part of a much bigger, systemic solution. It should not be confused with employers providing staff with timely access to professional psychological support services for a range of health problems.
鈥淐ounselling services providing short-term emotional and psychological support at work are available across the UK, either in-house or via an employee assistance programme (EAP).
鈥淭hese services are run by qualified accredited counsellors engaging trained professionals who understand the culture of the organisation in the NHS, the public and private sectors, and in universities, and some of these have already been in operation for more than 20 years.鈥�
麻豆原创 is concerned about a number of risks associated with mental health first aid, including that it passes responsibility for mental health at work to people who are not sufficiently trained nor adequately supported professionally or organisationally.
Investment
Mental health first aid can conceal systemic problems that may be exacerbating mental health issues in a workplace, whereas in-house聽counselling services or EAPs work with the individual and the organisation to address problems.
Staff or those at risk/who are vulnerable are聽potentially聽being signposted to get support from unqualified colleagues 鈥� with no boundaries, no contract and no supervision.聽
All mental health awareness raising is positive,聽but employers need to be able to refer their employees for professional psychological support undertaken by those who are trained, qualified and professionally supported to do the work and who can be accountable.聽
Nicola added: 鈥淢ental health first aid or any organisational offering should never be expected to replace mental health support, interventions and treatment that should be provided through the NHS.鈥�
Luciana Berger MP, 麻豆原创 vice-president, led the debate in Parliament on Thursday, which aimed to put mental health first aid on a par with physical health first aid.
Luciana said: 鈥淢ental health聽conditions do require specialist diagnosis and treatment. That is why many of us have been calling for more investment in this area to ensure that we have the clinicians within our NHS to address the聽mental health聽crisis in this country.
鈥淏ut let us be very clear that this motion, with this specific initiative, is not seeking to substitute mental professionals with聽mental health聽first aiders.
鈥淢ental health聽first aid training gives people the knowledge, the skills and the confidence to intervene early if someone is struggling with their聽mental health. It is not in any way intended to be a replacement for trained聽mental health聽professionals, either in the NHS or in our workplaces; rather it offers an early warning system and an opportunity for employee support.
鈥淚t is also aimed at tackling the taboo that we often see. Raising awareness of mental ill health and placing it on an equal footing with physical ill health tackles some of the stigma and discrimination that we still have to break down.鈥�
Educate
Jackie Doyle-Price MP, Minister for Mental Health, told the debate: 鈥淲e recognise that聽mental health聽first aid聽has a role to play in the Government's ambitious strategy to transform workplace聽mental health.
鈥淢ental health聽first aid聽is a helpful training resource to educate people to care not only for others, but for themselves. It also helps to improve understanding about聽mental health聽and聽mental illness; to build that culture and better understanding within organisations; and to encourage people to stay well and get the support they need to manage any聽mental health聽symptoms and problems.
鈥淥n its own, it is not enough. We would not want to have legislation that became a floor of service in聽mental health.
She added: 鈥淭he Government's view is that the best way to secure employer action, to enable those experiencing mental ill-health to remain and thrive in work, is to engage with employers to adopt a comprehensive approach based on the Thriving at Work聽mental health聽standards.聽
鈥淢ental health聽first aid聽is not an exclusive way of delivering employer action, but it can form part of it.鈥�