The presentation will explore the development of the world first MHFA program for medical professionals Equipping health professional students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise, understand, and respond to a peer or future patient experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis.
Developed with a $7milliojn Aus Government funding, the new online program was co designed with the Australian Council of Deans for Medical, Nursing and Allied Health students, as well as with lived experience of current and former health professional students who experience mental health problems.
Health professional students are at heightened risk of mental health issues, facing stresses during their studies and learning in high pressure clinical settings. Without intervention, this can lead to significant psychological distress and place lives at risk.
Specifically designed for doctors, nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals, the free evidence-based online training course teaches students how to recognise early signs of a mental health problem and provides practical skills to keep themselves and peers safe.
Includes:
✓ Real-world experiences of health professional students
✓ Contextualised content
✓ Advanced learning pathways – students who participate in the program can choose to complete the subsequent facilitated training, to get MHFAI accreditation lasting three years.
The presentation will introduce the issues facing the health professional students mental wellbeing and the collaborative with both the Australian Medical Students Association and the health professional Deans of Australia. It will provide an overview of the development methodologies, using proven scientific approaches, the co-design process and evidence reviews. And the outcomes an online MHFA education training program that can be self-paced in the students’ own time.
The presentation will go on to highlight the pilot phase of the implementation, with more than 1000 students feedback of s 3000 that completed the course in 2024 over a three month period. The findings include students self car, , peer to peer support and accessing care and safety
Finally, the presentation will discuss the launch implementation science to deliver training to every faculty in Australian aiming to reach more than 100,000 students.
Our courses are grounded in rigorous evidence and evaluation. This steadfast commitment to research and evaluation makes us global leaders in the field of mental health education