Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid USA Using the Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale

Purpose:This study assessed the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) in the United States with a theoretically based and psychometrically sound measure, the Mental Health Beliefs and Literacy Scale (MBLS).Design:Online MBLS surveys were administered pre-MHFA training, 3-weeks post-training, and 6-months posttraining.Setting:Mental Health First Aid trainings carried out across the United States.Participants:Six hundred sixty-two trainees were contacted, and 273 (41%) completed the presurvey. Of those, 63% filled out the postsurvey and 35% completed the 6-month survey. Seventy-six individuals completed all 3 surveys.Intervention:Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour education program to help the general public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance abuse; to date, almost 1 million people have been trained.Measure:The MLBS, based on the Unified Theory of Behavior Change framework, consists of attitudinal, social-, and skill-based constructs affecting the intention to pe...