Before this course: Sport and Event Safety (course 10.7.2), which builds on First Aid and Emergency Basics (course 10.7). You should already know how to call your local emergency number, check a scene is safe and follow an emergency action plan. This course adds the mental health side: what to do when a person is in emotional distress or crisis.
From physical first aid to mental health first aid
When someone falls and hurts a knee, you know to stay with them and get help. When someone is hurting inside, you can do the same: stay calm, listen and help them reach the right people. You are not the doctor. You are the first friendly person.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) describes mental health as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
- WHO says more than a billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition. Mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities as well as other mental states.
- WHO lists risk factors at many levels: individual factors such as emotional skills, substance use and genetics, and social factors such as poverty, violence, inequality and environmental deprivation. Protective factors include social and emotional skills, positive social interactions and access to quality education.
- Psychological first aid (PFA), in WHO's guide, is humane, supportive and practical help for people who are distressed after a serious crisis event, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities.
- WHO's training material says PFA is not something only professionals can do, not professional counselling, not "psychological debriefing" (no detailed discussion of the distressing event) and not pressuring people to tell you their feelings.
- Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a set of accredited training courses that began in Australia in 2000. MHFA International says the program is active in many countries and teaches people to support a friend, family member or co-worker who has a mental health problem or crisis.
- First aid for the mind works like first aid for the body: you help until professional help takes over. You never diagnose.
| Physical first aid (courses 10.7, 10.7.2) | Mental health first aid (this course) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Keep the person safe until help arrives | Keep the person safe and supported until the right help takes over |
| First check | Is the scene safe? | Is the person or anyone else in danger right now? |
| Main tools | Call, CPR, AED, bleeding control | Calm presence, listening, asking, connecting to help |
| What you do not do | Treat beyond your training | Diagnose, give therapy, or promise to fix everything |
- Emergency: call 9-1-1 (or your local emergency number where 9-1-1 is not available).
- Mental-health crisis: call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline. Free, 24/7, in English and French.
- Source: RCMP online reporting page: signaler.grc.ca/pei/en
- Source: Canada.ca, 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2023/11/9-8-8-suicide-crisis-helpl
- Emergency (police, fire, ambulance): call 911.
- Mental health crisis: call or text 988, or chat at chat.988lifeline.org. Free, confidential, 24/7 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
- Source: NHTSA National 911 Program: www.911.gov/
- Source: 988 Lifeline: 988lifeline.org/
- Emergency: 911, the nationwide emergency hotline; calls are free.
- Crisis line: NCMH Crisis Hotline 1553 (National Center for Mental Health), open 24/7.
- Source: The Philippine Star, 1 June 2018: philstar.com/headlines/2018/06/01/1820699/911-designated-nationwide-em
- Source: Daily Tribune quoting the NCMH (Dec 2025): tribune.net.ph/2025/12/27/anxiety-depression-top-reasons-for-calls-to-
- Police 110, fire 119, ambulance 120.
- Mental-health crisis: 12356, the nationwide unified psychological assistance hotline set up by the National Health Commission; local health departments run it.
- Source: National Health Commission notice on 12356: www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm
- Police 110. Fire and ambulance 119. Some areas offer #7119 if you are unsure whether to call an ambulance.
- Mental health: Yorisoi Hotline 0120-279-338 (toll free, 24 hours, with a foreign-language option); #Inochi SOS 0120-061-338 (toll free, 24 hours). Both are listed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
- Source: FDMA, Making the Most of the Ambulance Service (119, #7119): www.fdma.go.jp/publication/portal/items/portal002_english.pdf
- Source: MHLW, telephone consultation list (Japanese): www.mhlw.go.jp/mamorouyokokoro/soudan/tel/
- Emergency: 112 police, 119 fire and ambulance.
- Crisis line: 109, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 24-hour suicide prevention line (free to call).
- Source: Korea Herald (May 2026): www.koreaherald.com/article/10759801
- Find the In your country box above and copy your emergency number and your crisis line onto a card or into your phone.
- Write one sentence in your own words: "Mental health first aid means..."
- Write three things you will NOT do as a mental health first aider (for example: diagnose, give therapy, force someone to talk).
- Think of one place where you spend time (team, workplace, class). Write who there could need support and who the trained or official helpers are.
- Check: you can say your emergency number and your crisis line from memory, and explain in one sentence why you never diagnose.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "You know first aid for a sprained ankle. What about when someone is hurting inside?"
[Text on screen: WHO: mental health = coping, learning, working, contributing] "The WHO describes mental health as well-being that helps us cope with stress, learn, work and contribute."
[Text on screen: Not a doctor, not a therapist] "Mental health first aid is not therapy and not a diagnosis. It is calm, practical help until the right help takes over."
[Text on screen: Save your crisis line] "Save your emergency number and your local crisis line today."
[Host] "This course is education only. Take a certified course too."
Make the first line of your support-resources card: your local emergency number, your crisis line and one trusted adult or manager you could go to.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Mental Health First Aid Basics and Wellbeing at Work and School (education only)" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "From physical first aid to mental health first aid". What the lesson teaches: - The World Health Organization (WHO) describes mental health as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community. - WHO says more than a billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition. Mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities as well as other mental states. - WHO lists risk factors at many levels: individual factors such as emotional skills, substance use and genetics, and social factors such as poverty, violence, inequality and environmental deprivation. Protective factors include social and emotional skills, positive social interactions and access to quality education. - Psychological first aid (PFA), in WHO's guide, is humane, supportive and practical help for people who are distressed after a serious crisis event, in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities. - WHO's training material says PFA is not something only professionals can do, not professional counselling, not "psychological debriefing" (no detailed discussion of the distressing event) and not pressuring people to tell you their feelings. - Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a set of accredited training courses that began in Australia in 2000. MHFA International says the program is active in many countries and teaches people to support a friend, family member or co-worker who has a mental health problem or crisis. - First aid for the mind works like first aid for the body: you help until professional help takes over. You never diagnose. The exercise I'm working on: Make the first line of your support-resources card: your local emergency number, your crisis line and one trusted adult or manager you could go to. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it. 4. This is for learning only. Remind me to check with a licensed professional before I make a real decision about my own money, health or legal situation.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "From physical first aid to mental health first aid" from the course "Mental Health First Aid Basics and Wellbeing at Work and School (education only)". Here's what the lesson says: When someone falls and hurts a knee, you know to stay with them and get help. When someone is hurting inside, you can do the same: stay calm, listen and help them reach the right people. You are not the doctor. You are the first friendly person. The activity: Make the first line of your support-resources card: your local emergency number, your crisis line and one trusted adult or manager you could go to. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time. Keep it general and educational. This is not advice for a real situation.
Sources
- WHO, Mental health: strengthening our response (fact sheet): www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-o
- WHO, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (2011): www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548205
- WHO, Psychological first aid facilitator's slideshow: cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/mental-health/mental-health-in-e
- MHFA International: mhfainternational.org/
Recognising distress and warning signs
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Prepare, Look and Listen
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When someone may be thinking about suicide
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Link: connecting people to help and ending well
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Wellbeing at work and school
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Caring for yourself, getting certified and your support-resources card
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Final project
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Quiz
Does this course make you a certified mental health first aider?
No. It is education only; take an accredited course.
How does the WHO describe mental health?
A state of mental well-being that helps people cope with stress, realise their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.
Name two things psychological first aid is NOT.
For example professional counselling, psychological debriefing, something only professionals can do, or pressuring people to talk.
Name two warning signs of suicide.
For example talking about wanting to die or being a burden, feeling hopeless or trapped, giving away important items, making a plan, withdrawing from friends.
What are the four PFA action principles?
Prepare, Look, Listen and Link.
What is the first thing to check in "Look"?
Safety.
Does asking someone directly about suicide increase suicidal thoughts?
No. Studies show it does not.
What should you do if someone has attempted suicide?
Call your local emergency number and do not leave them alone.
Should you promise to keep a secret if someone's life may be at risk?
No. Safety comes first, and you need to involve others.
Name two WHO psychosocial risks at work.
For example excessive workload, long or inflexible hours, lack of control, bullying or harassment, unclear job role.
How does the WHO describe burn-out?
An occupational phenomenon from chronic workplace stress that has not been managed, not a medical condition.
When does the WHO say a helper should consult a professional about their own difficulties?
If they last more than one month.
Final exam
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Certificate
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