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"If you actually improve the nation's well-being you are planning for the maximum impact on those people who are most at risk"
Ian MacPherson, Director of the National Mental Health Development Unit, The Guardian, 24 June 2009
In the course of our lives:
1 in 6 of us will suffer from depression - most commonly between the ages of 25 and 44.
1 in 10 of us are likely to suffer from disabling anxiety at some stage in our lives.
Approximately 1 in 100 of us will be given a diagnosis of psychosis.
So mental health problems are common and it is highly likely that at some point in our lives we will develop a problem or come into close contact with someone who has one. Mental Health First Aid gives ordinary people the confidence and the tools they need to engage with a person experiencing a mental health problem, and guide them towards appropriate professional help. It is a valuable early intervention approach that aims to ensure that a persons mental health problem does not develop into a more serious state.
In addition, by raising awareness of mental health issues amongst the community MHFA aims to reduce the stigma and discrimination that are often associated with them and which might hinder people from seeking help.
"People with mental health problems frequently tell me that the stigma and discrimination they face because of their diagnosis has a bigger impact on their lives than the underlying symptoms of mental illness. They tell me that they can manage their symptoms and get on with their lives, but fear, prejudice and the resulting discrimination take away the rights that most of us take for granted"
Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Health Services, 2004
Finally, Mental Health First Aid spreads the message that people can and do recover from mental health problems, and that there are many things we can all do to achieve positive mental health and maintain it
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