Evaluation of a mental health first aid educational intervention for nursing professors

Abstract

Background: A lack of mental health awareness and crisis intervention among nursing professors may contribute to students not receiving needed mental health support. This pilot QI project aimed to assess the impact of a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)/Mental Health Matters (MHM) training program. Project objectives included: 1. A 10% increase in WCC nursing faculty confidence in identifying and intervening during a nursing student health crisis 2. A 5% increase in nursing students seeking assistance from WCC nursing faculty for referral to WCC personal counseling (PC) services 3. A 5% interest of the remaining WCC faculty in participation in the piloted program as a college-wide intervention Methods: After attending a faculty in-service regarding MHFA/MHM, a sample of nursing professors (n = 5) were administered the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) pre- and post-MHFA certification. A presentation of the MHM referral program was then conducted with the student body. After project implementation, preliminary results were shared with the remaining college-wide faculty, and interest was polled. Results: The Wilcoxen Signed-Rank Test was statistically significant for two MHLS categories. The Mann-Whitney U identified an increase (8.3%) in the MHLS mean scores. The Vargha and Delaney (A) effect size measures determined the clinical significance of the MHLS (question 18, very small, and question 25, no difference). Conclusions: Due to increased nursing faculty confidence, increased student referrals, and significant college-wide faculty interest, it is recommended that WCC support the implementation of this pilot QI project, college-wide. IRB Approval: IRB approval through full/expedited/exempt review