Groundbreaking initiative: MHFA first aiders in the Pharmacy Faculty

Just as first aid courses teach you how to respond to medical emergencies, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses teach you how to respond to mental health issues until professionals take over. A recent MHFA course at the School of Pharmacy sent a strong signal of support for mental health within the pharmacy degree programme.

Imagine that, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, you fall and break your leg. Naturally, you would seek professional help and medical care. But what if it is not a broken leg, but a mental health issue? Although seeking appropriate professional help for mental health problems should be just as instinctive, many people in our society still face significant barriers to doing so.

You can’t hide a broken leg. Mental health issues are far more often kept secret due to prejudice and shame, with the suffering hidden behind closed doors. And what if you notice that something isn’t quite right with a colleague at work or a student you’re supervising? Would you dare to bring it up, and how would you go about it? What if the person brushes it off or even gets angry?

Support where the pressure is greatest

A degree programme in pharmacy is one of the most demanding degree programmes at German universities. The strict requirements of the licensing regulations result in high demands: packed timetables, extensive course material and countless laboratory practicals create a heavy workload, particularly in the semesters leading up to the first and second state examinations.

The BPhD survey “Mental Health in Pharmacy Studies” and the PharmSchool survey “Depression in Pharmacy Studies” have confirmed that this often leads to noticeable mental strain.

Practical training supervisor Irina Ihnatenko can confirm this: “During some counselling sessions and one-to-one discussions, it becomes clear just what personal pressures students can be exposed to.”

PhD students, research staff and technical staff supervise pharmacy students during laboratory practicals – 15 of them have now received specific training as MHFA first aiders to recognise mental health crises and signs of stress at an early stage.

Laboratory assistant Bianka Nouri says: “I believe mental health is just as important as physical health. I want society to stop stigmatising mental health issues, especially in our own minds.”

Practical and evidence-based training

Under the headship of MHFA instructor Lydia Baum, the participants completed the intensive MHFA First Aid programme, which was established and is scientifically supported by the Central Institute for Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.

The participants thus gained in-depth knowledge of the symptoms, causes and risk factors of depression, anxiety disorders, psychoses and various other mental health issues, and learnt how to respond professionally, compassionately and supportively in crisis situations.

“Through our programmes, we aim to break down stigmas and build skills in order to sustainably strengthen the mental health of individuals, teams and organisations. As an MHFA instructor, the collaboration with TU Braunschweig shows me just how important and effective early intervention is, even in a university context,” said Lydia Baum.

The theoretical content is put into practice in these courses through realistic role-plays and targeted exercises. This is precisely what appealed to doctoral student Nelly Luong: “The course has given me a great deal of confidence in my ability to support people in mentally stressful situations. Through interactive case studies, we were able to practise and discuss challenging conversational scenarios together, which helps to alleviate the nervousness associated with such situations.”

Special thanks go to the Pharmacy Alumni Association in Braunschweig, which funded refreshments and lunch for the course through a donation, thereby also highlighting the importance of such initiatives.

Widespread support and a long-term perspective

This initiative clearly signals that mental health issues are taken seriously within the School of Pharmacy. MHFA first-aider and course organiser Julian Hegemann takes a clear stance on this:

“As instructors, we bear a great deal of responsibility towards our students. This involves ensuring the delivery of high-quality teaching and dealing sensitively with the varied life circumstances of our highly diverse student body. It also means that we must clearly identify problems arising from the high demands of a degree in pharmacy and tackle them head-on. I know only too well how important it is to normalise the discourse around mental health, as I myself have had to seek professional support for mental health issues. In hindsight, I can say quite clearly that I waited far too long at the time because of my own shame and fear. We must therefore all work together to raise public awareness of such issues, and ensure that those who take the courageous step of seeking help are treated with understanding and support.”

Thanks to the training of the 15 MHFA first aiders, the topic is now firmly established within the Department of Pharmacy. Plans are also in place to network with experienced MHFA first aiders from other departments. Robert Hänsch, an MHFA first aider since 2023, comments:

“So far, no one has approached me directly in my capacity as an MHFA first aider. However, I am still able to apply what I have learnt time and again in relevant situations, particularly with students.”

As a first follow-up measure, a clear information page listing all MHFA first aiders is now being set up to make them visible and easily accessible to students.

Text: Lea Hülsen & Julian Hegemann