Mental health first aid training in pharmacy practice from the perspective of the public: a cross-sectional survey study

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the public's perception of pharmacists trained in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and to describe their encounters with pharmacists addressing mental health concerns.

Methods: An online survey was disseminated to Canadian adults 18 years and older over a 3-month period (September-December 2022) to describe their views on the value of pharmacists trained in MHFA and their pharmacist encounters related to addressing mental health concerns. Descriptive statistics was used to describe survey responses. Chi square test was used to determine the difference in the level of comfort in discussing mental health concerns between pharmacists with and without MHFA training.

Key findings: There were 228 participants included in the study. The proportion of respondents who agreed, either somewhat or strongly, that they 'would be comfortable talking to a pharmacist about mental health problems' was 53.5% for non-MHFA-trained pharmacists and 61.8% for MHFA-trained pharmacists (P = .0366). Approximately two-thirds (64.8%) of survey respondents agreed that 'pharmacists should be trained in MHFA'. Approximately one-third (n = 75) of participants met with a pharmacist to discuss their mental health once a month and 36.4% (n = 83) indicated they received help from a pharmacist when they were experiencing a deterioration in mental health.

Conclusions: More participants reported feeling comfortable discussing their mental health concerns with a pharmacist trained in MHFA compared with non-trained pharmacists. Pharmacists trained in MHFA may be perceived by the public to be better equipped to discuss mental health in the pharmacy setting.

Keywords: CPD; clinical practice; community pharmacy; education; mental health; needs assessment; pharmaceutical public health.