Around 20% of the Australians suffer from poor mental health each year and around 44% over their lifetime. A survey conducted on 11,000 people revealed that 24% had reported a decline in their mental health over the past six months.
Most concerning is that about 60% of people experiencing a mental health issue won’t seek help. People are therefore more likely to be undiagnosed or disconnected from support.
Many hats of a pharmacist
They can also provide advice and answers to patients’ questions about their mental health.
In general, Australian pharmacists are highly educated in mental health and use evidence-based treatment.
This is despite the fact that pharmacists have a lacking confidence, which stops them raising mental health concerns with patients. It is possible that only 29% of pharmacists in Australia are trained on mental health crises.
Lack of confidence to raise and address mental health issues can lead to patients not being diagnosed, untreated, and without support.
Read more: Scared of needles? Claustrophobic? One longer session of exposure therapy could help as much as several short ones.
Four key elements of mental health first aid
First aid is often thought of as the immediate assistance given to a sick or injured person. What if it’s not a physical problem but a mental one? Many people are unsure of what they can do to help.
In the case of physical injury or illness, it is important to receive immediate and high-quality help.
There are many different mental health first-aid training programs, both commercial and non-profit. Recent literature reviews of mental health professional programs suggest they can reduce stigma and improve knowledge. They can also boost confidence and intention to help.
Four elements are common to all programs that provide high-quality first aid for mental health.
1. Recognize someone who may be going through a crisis or mental health issue
To recognize a mental illness or crisis, you need to pay attention to verbal, emotional, physical, and behavioral indicators. Pharmacists can detect changes in patients’ behaviors because they interact with them every three weeks.
Patients may show sadness, anger, or frustration. They might also feel guilt, shame, or hopelessness. They may say, “There is no hope” or “I cannot continue like this”.
The physical symptoms include tiredness, sleep difficulties, restlessness, and muscle tension. Other signs are upset stomach, sweating, or difficulty breathing.
Emotional indicators are a reflection of how someone is feeling. They include mood changes and tears, agitation, anger, or desperation.
There are symptom guides available for anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
2. Assess the person and approach them
You can start the conversation by asking, “How are things?” “I have noticed [symptoms]” and am concerned.
It is not your role to diagnose a patient clinically. However, it is important to determine the level of risk and urgency. The story of speed and wager will determine whether the patient is in immediate danger or if they can benefit from other support services.
You can use the acronym TED to guide your first discussion in the following ways:
Tell me…
How has it affected you?
What is happening?
3. Listen actively and communicate without judgment
Active Listening is a way to confirm that you have heard and understood the other person. You can do this by nodding and making eye contact.
Communication without judgment involves showing genuine concern for another person and discussing their experience.
“How” and “what?” are usually used in open-ended questions. You might say: “I noticed changes in you recently. What’s going on?” or “I notice you’re filling out a prescription for sleeping tablets.” How do you sleep?
4. Refer the person for support
It is beneficial for people who struggle with mental health to share details with professionals like family members and general practitioners. However, they may need some encouragement to reach out for help.
The level of urgency should be reflected in the support system that is recommended. Lifeline offers free, 24-hour telephone, chat, and text message assistance. The Call Back Service provides free 24/7 counseling.
In an emergency or if in doubt, dial 000.
Head To Health offers non-urgent, free online support. Black Dog Institute also provides this service.
Read more: How to look after your mental health if you’re at home with COVID.
Could training community pharmacists help?
A number of studies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries have shown that pharmacists believe they need to be better trained in mental health first-aid.
According to research, almost 70% of patients think that all pharmacists need mental health first-aid training. Patients feel more comfortable discussing mental illness with pharmacists who have received this training.
Recent evidence suggests that mental health first-aid training can improve the level and quality of help provided by pharmacists.
In our research, we found that Australian pharmacists who had received mental health first-aid training were more likely than those without the training to intervene.
Despite the fact that both trained mental health first aiders and untrained pharmacy staff provide high-quality first aid, there are some differences. Trained pharmacists evaluated patients and encouraged other support (such as that from family and friends). The patients also felt more confident.
