Display options
Cite
Rossetto A, Jorm AF, Reavley NJ. Quality of helping behaviours of members of the public towards a person with a mental illness: a descriptive analysis of data from an Australian national survey. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2014;13(1):2doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-13-2.
Rossetto, A., Jorm, A. F., & Reavley, N. J. (2014). Quality of helping behaviours of members of the public towards a person with a mental illness: a descriptive analysis of data from an Australian national survey. Annals of general psychiatry, 13(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-13-2
Rossetto, Alyssia, et al. "Quality of helping behaviours of members of the public towards a person with a mental illness: a descriptive analysis of data from an Australian national survey." Annals of general psychiatry vol. 13,1 (2014): 2. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-13-2
Rossetto A, Jorm AF, Reavley NJ. Quality of helping behaviours of members of the public towards a person with a mental illness: a descriptive analysis of data from an Australian national survey. Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 18;13(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-13-2. PMID: 24438434; PMCID: PMC3898824.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2014 Jan 18;13(1):2. doi: 10.1186/1744-859X-13-2.

Quality of helping behaviours of members of the public towards a person with a mental illness: a descriptive analysis of data from an Australian national survey.

Annals of general psychiatry

Alyssia Rossetto, Anthony F Jorm, Nicola J Reavley

Affiliations

  1. Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Level 3, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, Victoria 3010, Australia. [email protected].

PMID: 24438434 PMCID: PMC3898824 DOI: 10.1186/1744-859X-13-2

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Courses such as Mental Health First Aid equip members of the public to perform appropriate helping behaviours towards people experiencing a mental illness or mental health crisis. However, studies investigating the general public's knowledge and skills in relation to assisting a person with a mental illness are rare. This study assesses the quality of mental health first aid responses by members of the Australian public using data from a national survey.

METHODS: Participants in a national survey of mental health literacy were assigned one of six vignettes (depression, depression with suicidal thoughts, early schizophrenia, chronic schizophrenia, social phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder) and asked an open-ended question about how they would help the character in the vignette. The 6,019 respondents were also asked if and how they had helped a person in real life with a similar problem. Responses to these questions were scored using a system based on an action plan developed from expert consensus guidelines on mental health first aid.

RESULTS: The quality of responses overall was poor, with participants scoring an average of 2 out of 12. The most commonly reported actions for both questions were listening to the person, providing support and information and encouraging them to seek appropriate professional help. Actions such as assessing and assisting with crisis were rarely mentioned, even for the depression with suicidal thoughts vignette.

CONCLUSIONS: The quality of the Australian public's mental health first aid knowledge and skills requires substantial improvement. Particular attention should be given to helping people recognise that anxiety disorders such as social phobia require professional help and to improving responses to a suicidal person.

References

  1. BMC Psychiatry. 2005 Feb 06;5:9 - PubMed
  2. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2009 Jul;43(7):615-23 - PubMed
  3. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2011 Jan 27;5(1):4 - PubMed
  4. Schizophr Bull. 2008 May;34(3):435-43 - PubMed
  5. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;45(12):1086-93 - PubMed
  6. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2001 Mar;103(3):220-5 - PubMed
  7. BMC Psychiatry. 2008 Jun 08;8:42 - PubMed
  8. BMC Psychiatry. 2005 Nov 09;5:43 - PubMed
  9. BMC Psychiatry. 2008 Mar 18;8:17 - PubMed
  10. Br J Soc Psychol. 2001 Dec;40(Pt 4):471-99 - PubMed
  11. BMC Psychiatry. 2010 Jun 21;10:49 - PubMed
  12. J Affect Disord. 2008 Dec;111(2-3):227-34 - PubMed
  13. BMC Psychiatry. 2011 Jan 05;11:3 - PubMed
  14. JAMA. 2005 Apr 6;293(13):1635-43 - PubMed
  15. Psychiatry Res. 2012 Apr 30;196(2-3):315-9 - PubMed
  16. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Nov;45(11):947-56 - PubMed
  17. BMC Psychiatry. 2004 Aug 15;4:23 - PubMed
  18. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2013 May;7(2):170-86 - PubMed
  19. Am J Epidemiol. 2011 Mar 15;173(6):703-11 - PubMed
  20. BMC Psychiatry. 2002 Oct 01;2:10 - PubMed
  21. BMC Psychiatry. 2009 Aug 10;9:49 - PubMed
  22. BMC Psychiatry. 2011 Dec 15;11:196 - PubMed
  23. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Oct;45(10):808-13 - PubMed
  24. Soc Sci Med. 1998 Jan;46(2):275-86 - PubMed
  25. BMC Psychiatry. 2009 Dec 07;9:79 - PubMed
  26. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2012 Feb;141(1):2-18 - PubMed
  27. J Am Coll Health. 2012;60(2):104-14 - PubMed
  28. Psychiatry Res. 2011 Jun 30;188(1):123-8 - PubMed
  29. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2006 Jan;40(1):6-8 - PubMed

Publication Types