Investigación y base empírica
Research and evaluation are crucial functions for large programs such as Mental Health First Aid. They provide insight into whether programs are achieving their goals, identify what works best and for whom, and build the evidence needed to strengthen, sustain and scale impact.
Research and program evaluation have been central to MHFA’s culture since the program was created in Australia and brought over to the United States. For nearly 15 years, researchers have been studying the processes, outcomes and impacts of MHFA across the country.
Primeros auxilios en salud mental
Almost 100 peer-reviewed studies conducted in the United States have shown that those who are trained in MHFA:
- Mostrar una menor estigmatización y una mayor empatía hacia las personas con problemas de salud mental.
- Conocer los signos, síntomas y factores de riesgo de los problemas de salud mental y consumo de sustancias.
- Mostrar mayor confianza y probabilidad de ayudar a alguien en apuros.
- Use their skills and knowledge as First Aiders to manage their own mental wellbeing.
Resultados de la investigación sobre el MHFA
The following documents provide an overview of some research findings from each of the core MHFA programs – Adult, Youth, and teen MHFA. For a higher-level review of all MHFA research in the country, please refer to our MHFA Research Summary.
MHFA Research Summary
Our research summary highlights over a decade of MHFA studies conducted in the United States. This document gives insight into the high-level findings of MHFA’s core programs in different US contexts and populations.
97
estudios revisados por expertos
82
evaluation studies.
15
scoping reviews, systematic reviews or meta-analyses
Updated research summary coming soon!
Data from MHFA Learners
MHFA’s Research and Evaluation team also conducts regular internal program evaluations of MHFA USA courses to understand their effectiveness. Below are some outcomes from a recent program evaluation of over 3,500 Adult and 2,300 Youth MHFA learners:
- After completing the training, both Adult and Youth learners experienced significantly increased mental health literacy, intent to help someone in need, and confidence to help someone in need.
- 94% of Adult MHFA learners said they would take another MHFA course based on their experience.
- 92% of Youth MHFA learners said they would take another MHFA course based on their experience.
- 83% of Adult learners increased their intent to carry out MHFA actions to help someone in need
- 94% of Youth learners had increased confidence to carry out MHFA actions to help a youth in need
Becas del MHFA para estudiantes de doctorado
The MHFA Doctoral Student Grant program granted one-time funds of $5,000 to full-time doctoral students interested in evaluating the outcomes of different MHFA courses across different communities in the United States.
This program’s purpose was to fill in current evidence gaps within MHFA literature, help MHFA with internal enhancements, and provide passionate doctoral researchers with funds to pursue their research interests.
Más información próximamente.
MHFA Research Advisors
Our Research Advisors are respected experts in the fields of mental health, substance use and implementation science research. Their insights help expand our evidence base, improve how we implement MHFA in different settings, and develop future course offerings.
