NCT06035770

The Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Intervention Among Undergraduate Students in Switzerland

The Effectiveness of Ensa - Mental Health First Aid Training on Knowledge and Mental Health of Undergraduate Students in Switzerland: a Randomised Control Trial.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 107 (actual)
• Sponsor: Institut et Haute Ecole de la Santé la Source · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an educational training program which has been proven effective at increasing knowledge, improving attitudes and reducing the stigma of mental illness among individuals/the general population. Although MHFA has proven effective world-wide, no study has examined the effectiveness of MHFA in Switzerland and very few studies have examined the long-term effects of MHFA and how they might be influenced by cultural differences. This study is a randomized control trial (RCT) that examines the effectiveness of a 12-hour MHFA training program that aims to improve undergraduate students' knowledge of, behaviours towards mental illness and to reduce stigmatization towards mental illness. All participants were 2nd-year students and they were randomly assigned either to an intervention group that would receive the MHFA training course or to a control group without any intervention during the study period. However, the control group had the option to receive the MHFA course after the 12 months of study follow-up was completed. Both groups were assessed at three time points: T0: Baseline survey from mid-September to October 2019, completed by both groups. Intervention: MHFA training program from October 2019-December 2019. T1: Post-intervention with first follow-up survey three months after the MHFA training intervention completed by both groups (from March to May 2020). T2: Follow-up 12 months after the MHFA/ensa training intervention in December 2020 and completed by both groups.

Conditions

• Preventative Medicine

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Mental Health First Aid (educational training program)	The MHFA program is a 12-hour face-to-face training program delivered in four sessions of three hours each across four consecutive weeks by two accredited MHFA instructors. The class was administered in small groups with a maximum of 10-15 students.The program included didactic lectures and "role playing" to teach students how to recognize and react to the signs and symptoms of mental health illness. Participants enrolled in the intervention group received an accompanying manual with content that covered helping people in mental health crises and/or the early stages of mental health problems. The mental health problems addressed during the training session included depressive symptoms, anxiety, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders. The mental health crisis situations included suicidal thoughts/attempts and behaviors, acute stress reactions,panic attacks, and acute psychotic behaviors.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-09-20
• Primary completion: 2020-03-01
• Completion: 2020-12-31
• First posted: 2023-09-13
• Last updated: 2023-09-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland