Did you know ? There are first aid gestures in mental health

2023-04-19 12:55:08

We know that first aid actions save lives. But there are also some for mental health, which could save just as many. What do these trainings consist of? We will explain everything to you.

Lhen we think of first aid gestures, we imagine a heart massagea PLS, a phone call to 15, a heimlich maneuver… But did you know that there are also some for mental health ?

According the French Mental Health Federation“22% of the population will be affected at least once in their lifetime by a disorder of Mental Healthaccording to forecasts for 2020″. A figure that deserves a closer look at these first aid gestures and the training courses in which they are taught. Globally, these life-saving trainings have been around for a long time. And the French model, offered since 2018 by PSSM Francethe Federation Mental Health Francel’Unafam and theInfipp, is also largely inspired by its distant Australian cousin. It remains to be seen what we learn during these trainings.

General public training

On the website of PSSM (Premiers Secours en Santé Mentale France), we can read that this program “is inspired by training in physical first aid, but incorporates a different emergency logic: a rescuer in Mental Health will often have to intervene several times pour listen, reassure and accompany the person concerned towards treatment”.

If you register for one of these courses, it will cost you 250 €. For two days, the apprentice lifeguard learns to know the different mental health disordersto apprehend all types of crises or aggressive behavior, and to develop relationship skills. A broad program to deal with the ills that everyone may encounter in their colleagues, neighbours, friends or relatives. After two days, we can thus learn to distinguish the signs and symptoms of anxiety disordersto manage a crisis related to the use of substances, to intervene in case of psychotic disorders or even to recognize depression.

Of course, the idea is not to replace a health professional, but to be able to identify these disorders and accompany the person towards the treatment that corresponds to them. Laura Tahli, psychologist and trainer, also explained in the columns of Slate that “without medical terms, this training is aimed at the general public, intended to remain so” and also insisted “on the need to pass the baton and rely on professionals”. In 2022, a module was specifically dedicated to young people. A good thing in view ofan IPSOS survey published in January 2021 which indicated that 32% of 18-24 year olds have a mental health problem.