Why students and faculty alike need mental health first-aid training

“Faculty, staff and students alike need the equivalent of basic first-aid training in mental health in order to ensure that all members of the college community – but students in particular – have their mental health and welfare adequately supported,” introduces his newest article Senior Fellow Noam Schimmel.

In the writing published by Times Higher Education, Noam argues that universities need to “urgently make a more intentional, proactive and well-resourced effort to support their students’ mental health.”

A mental health first aid could be the first step. This training, as Noam suggests, could provide essential information and skills to enable students and faculty alike to observe mental health distress – in themselves and others. Then, they could seek professional assistance.

Over time, a higher awareness would contribute to reducing the stigmatization of mental illness and advancing mental health. This could result in “more resilient and mutually supportive university communities,” Noam concludes.

Learn more

• Read the article in full on this Times Higher Education page.
• Discover more of Noam’s writing on his Humanity in Action Person Page.