The impact of becoming a Mental Health First Aider

After completing the Scottish Mental Health First Aid Training, Gordon Lennox reflects on how it developed his understanding of mental health, the importance of asking questions and how lawyers can adapt their skills in a mental health setting.

When we hear the words first aid – we immediately think of a cut on your finger or a graze on the knee, but certainly something physical and never very major. Rarely do we think of first aid in a mental health sense, yet, almost constantly, we are reminded to look after our mental health. All too easily in our day to day life, at work or with friends, we can see when someone is struggling physically but it can be very difficult to see when they are struggling mentally. 

Last year, I took the opportunity to attend and take part in the Mental Health First Aid course that was run by the Law Society of Scotland. It was an education in every sense of the word.

When we talk about mental health in general or our own mental health, specifically – do we really know what it is we mean or how it affects us and those around us? Is it anxiety? Is it depression? How do they differ? Do they differ, and what are the signs?

In the legal profession, that can be notoriously competitive, nobody wants to show any signs of weakness or vulnerability for fear that it may hinder progress or signal them out as being not up to the job. The course deals with attitudes to mental health issues before covering a whole range of subjects from understanding depression and anxiety and even psychosis to dealing with what the impact alcohol and drugs have on mental health. The taboo subject of suicide is covered in depth and teaches what suicide intervention is. Something we hope we never need to have to do.

For me, it taught me that in this fast paced world and the work environments we live in, we need to look out for each other. How to be more sympathetic to what people have going on in their lives and to know what the signs are when something is dragging them down. ‘Have you ever considered suicide?” is a question that you can not really imagine asking someone but now being a mental health first aider, I would be much more comfortable doing so. As we were taught on the course – you may be surprised by the answers you may get and sometimes just asking that question is the start to helping someone on the road to recovery. As lawyers, we like to think we are good listeners and the course will show how to adapt those skills in a mental health setting, helping us to understand and remove the stigma around mental health.

I cannot recommend the course highly enough and every workplace should consider having someone who is trained in Mental Health First Aid. Personally, I now have a far greater understanding of mental health, and can recognize the signs when someone is not coping particularly well but more importantly, it has given me the confidence that where required, I could intervene and maybe ask someone the one question that could open the door to the help they need!

The next Scottish Mental Health First Aid training is on 14 and 15 October in Glasgow. There are only limited spaces available so book now to avoid disappointment.

Priority will be given to those working in smaller law firms where the opportunity of completing this training is not offered by their employer. Applications close on 7 October.