What were you expecting to get out of the Mental Health First Aid course? I was expecting to be able to learn how to deal with like situations where you come to contact with people with mental illness and being able to sort of know what to say, what to do when there’s no one […]
What were you expecting to get out of the Mental Health First Aid course?
I was expecting to be able to learn how to deal with like situations where you come to contact with people with mental illness and being able to sort of know what to say, what to do when there’s no one else who can help.
What do you think are the problems that students are facing currently and how can they affect their mental health?
A lot of students are coming to university from home for the first time, so the main thing is like homesickness, a new environment, and having to make new friends with people that they may not be comfortable with. It’s definitely going out of their comfort zone. The work load as well, because university work is a lot different and depending on the degree it’s a lot more demanding. There’s also having to depend on yourself, sort of living on your own. And the age range of students: there’s mature students as well, but social media gives people these expectations and you want to keep up with university through social media.
What did you learn from the course?
A lot, actually. I think a few of the main things I’ve taken away are about the importance of listening, because otherwise I would have thought that it’s important to sort of have a conversation with someone. It’s less that and more about them being able to talk and not feel judged, and also knowing when you need to get other help, even if they’re not comfortable about it. Mainly how to assess how serious the situation is.
Would you recommend the course? If so, who would it be for?
Honestly, the easiest and simple answer would be everyone if possible. People who are in charge of large amounts of people, who come into contact with a lot of people who are in positions of power in societies. People who have that added responsibility so they can just be able to share their knowledge with other people.
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