Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training
Background: Those studying nursing are at greater risk for developing mental health problems than other tertiary students. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training may assist students to support peers and build mental health literacy. Understanding motivation to participate in training can identify f...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79250 |
| _version_ | 1848764021820358656 |
|---|---|
| author | Crawford, Gemma Burns, Sharyn |
| author_facet | Crawford, Gemma Burns, Sharyn |
| author_sort | Crawford, Gemma |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background: Those studying nursing are at greater risk for developing mental health problems than other tertiary students. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training may assist students to support peers and build mental health literacy. Understanding motivation to participate in training can identify factors influencing uptake and completion. This paper explores motivators for university nursing students to participate in MHFA training and uses previous experience and confidence in assisting someone with a mental health problem to triangulate data. Method: A randomised controlled trial was employed to measure the impact of the course for nursing students at a large Western Australian university. An online survey was administered prior to MHFA training with undergraduate nursing students (n = 140). Thematic analysis of open-ended questions explores motivators to participate and help provided to an individual. Baseline frequencies describe demographics, confidence in helping and exposure to someone with a mental health problem. A Chi Square test compared confidence in helping and exposure to someone with a mental health problem. Results: More than half of participants reported contact with individuals experiencing mental health problems (55%; n = 77); approximately a third (35.8%) reported limited confidence to assist. Those in previous contact with someone with a mental health problem (71.5%; n = 55) were significantly more likely to feel confident in helping (p = 0.044). Mental health literacy, helping others, career and experiences were described as training motivators. Conclusion: Exploiting motivators, both intrinsic and extrinsic may increase MHFA training uptake and completion. Tertiary institutions would benefit from policy to embed MHFA training into nursing degrees. The training may have utility for university degrees more broadly. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12614000861651. Registered 11 August 2014 (retrospectively registered). |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:12:44Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-79250 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:12:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | BMC |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-792502020-08-19T06:34:43Z Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training Crawford, Gemma Burns, Sharyn Social Sciences Education & Educational Research Education, Scientific Disciplines Mental health first aid Mental health Universities Nursing students Prevention Early intervention Motivators Training Education Mental health literacy PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION NATIONAL-SURVEY EDUCATION ATTITUDES LITERACY KNOWLEDGE STRESS INTERVENTION ACHIEVEMENT Background: Those studying nursing are at greater risk for developing mental health problems than other tertiary students. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training may assist students to support peers and build mental health literacy. Understanding motivation to participate in training can identify factors influencing uptake and completion. This paper explores motivators for university nursing students to participate in MHFA training and uses previous experience and confidence in assisting someone with a mental health problem to triangulate data. Method: A randomised controlled trial was employed to measure the impact of the course for nursing students at a large Western Australian university. An online survey was administered prior to MHFA training with undergraduate nursing students (n = 140). Thematic analysis of open-ended questions explores motivators to participate and help provided to an individual. Baseline frequencies describe demographics, confidence in helping and exposure to someone with a mental health problem. A Chi Square test compared confidence in helping and exposure to someone with a mental health problem. Results: More than half of participants reported contact with individuals experiencing mental health problems (55%; n = 77); approximately a third (35.8%) reported limited confidence to assist. Those in previous contact with someone with a mental health problem (71.5%; n = 55) were significantly more likely to feel confident in helping (p = 0.044). Mental health literacy, helping others, career and experiences were described as training motivators. Conclusion: Exploiting motivators, both intrinsic and extrinsic may increase MHFA training uptake and completion. Tertiary institutions would benefit from policy to embed MHFA training into nursing degrees. The training may have utility for university degrees more broadly. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12614000861651. Registered 11 August 2014 (retrospectively registered). 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79250 10.1186/s12909-020-1983-2 English http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ BMC fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Social Sciences Education & Educational Research Education, Scientific Disciplines Mental health first aid Mental health Universities Nursing students Prevention Early intervention Motivators Training Education Mental health literacy PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION NATIONAL-SURVEY EDUCATION ATTITUDES LITERACY KNOWLEDGE STRESS INTERVENTION ACHIEVEMENT Crawford, Gemma Burns, Sharyn Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title | Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title_full | Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title_fullStr | Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title_short | Confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: Experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (MHFA) training |
| title_sort | confidence and motivation to help those with a mental health problem: experiences from a study of nursing students completing mental health first aid (mhfa) training |
| topic | Social Sciences Education & Educational Research Education, Scientific Disciplines Mental health first aid Mental health Universities Nursing students Prevention Early intervention Motivators Training Education Mental health literacy PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION NATIONAL-SURVEY EDUCATION ATTITUDES LITERACY KNOWLEDGE STRESS INTERVENTION ACHIEVEMENT |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/79250 |