Evaluating the Longitudinal Impact of Mental Health First Aid Training on Student Pharmacist Perceptions.
Publication Title
American journal of pharmaceutical education
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2025
Keywords
Humans; Students, Pharmacy; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Health; Education, Pharmacy; Female; Male; Social Stigma; First Aid; Curriculum; Mental Disorders; Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult; Mental health; Mental health first aid; Self-care; Stigma; Suicide prevention.; washington; spokane; pshmc
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the longitudinal impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training on student pharmacists' perceptions of stigma, comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene with someone experiencing a mental health issue over time.
METHODS: Students in a PharmD program completed MHFA training as a curricular requirement and were surveyed to gather perceptions 6 months after the training. Survey data were analyzed in combination with 2 separate surveys conducted immediately before and after the training during a previous project. Surveys included multiple validated tools for evaluating students' perceptions of mental health stigma as well as comfort, confidence, and willingness to intervene with someone experiencing mental health challenges. A 1-way repeated-measures analysis of variance and t tests with the Bonferroni correction were used to analyze results.
RESULTS: MHFA training was completed by 235 students, and the 6-month post-training survey was completed by 147. A significant change in scores was observed in students' ability to identify mental health concerns, recognize suicide warning signs, and provide resources for mental health and suicide prevention counseling. A significant improvement in stigma was limited over time; willingness to work with a colleague who disclosed a mental illness and to tell friends about their own mental illness improved immediately after training but not at 6 months post-training.
CONCLUSION: MHFA had mixed longitudinal results in decreasing stigma,but did impact both professional and personal views on mental health. MHFA training was most impactful in increasing student confidence in assisting individuals experiencing mental health concerns and in suicide prevention.
Area of Special Interest
Mental Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Behavioral Health
Specialty/Research Institute
Pharmacy
DOI
10.1016/j.ajpe.2025.101868
