Knowledge in basic first aid helps us feel confident when the need arises. Knowing how to stanch a bleed until expert care arrives not only can saves lives, but also builds a network of care.
Mental health experts see the same need in the realm of mental disorders. If people knew telltale signs of disturbance, they could reach out to those suffering and connect them to trained help.
With that in mind, Malinda Bailey and Becky Stanley of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center have recently completed a Mental Health First Aid course. Their goal is to train non-professionals in the center’s six-county area in ways to identify mental health disorders and help those afflicted seek professional care.
Bailey is director of children’s services at the mental health center. She is a licensed master’s social worker and has been with SEKMHC since 1994.
Stanley is executive assistant to Bob Chase, SEKMHC director, and has been with the agency since 1980.
The two women see the training as especially beneficial to educators and administrators in both the high school and college level.
“I would love to see this explode at the college level,” said Bailey. College, she said, “is a pretty common time for the onset of eating, depression and anxiety disorders.”
Being away from family and friends often dislodges a student’s support system, Bailey said.
Those early adult years are also critical times for the pursuit of higher education, long-lasting relationships and the establishment of either good or bad health habits such as alcohol or drug abuse.
Intervention by mental health experts can make all the difference to the course of a young adult’s life, Bailey said.
Bailey said most people go five years with a disorder before they seek treatment.
“What a waste of those years,” she said.
Disorders such as anxiety and depression can be debilitating not only to the victim but also to his or her family members.
Telltale signs include a deviation in behavior including loss of energy, ambition or productivity.
“If you notice these things in a friend or acquaintance, you can help by reaching out to them and telling them help is available,” Bailey said.
The mental health first aid training includes learning about potential warning signs and risk factors for depression, anxiety disorders, trauma and substance abuse disorders.
Participants learn a five-step action plan in case of a crisis and of the resources available to help someone with a mental health problem.
More than one-quarter of Americans at some times in their lives will suffer from a mental illness, Bailey said.
Unfortunately, TV shows and movies grossly distort what a mental illness may look like, Stanley said.
“Only about 1 percent of cases are something like schizophrenia,” where people withdraw from reality, Stanley said. The majority of people suffering from a mental disorder can be easily approached.
Bailey and Stanley hope to bring their mental health first aid training to city and county employees, high school and college administrations and faculties, and private industries.
They are also open to presenting a program on the new program. For more information, call the Iola office at 365-5717.
First aid for mental health
