Univital Mental Health First Aid
First aiders for mental health
First aid courses for physical emergency care are well known in our society. However, comparable training courses for first aid for mental stress and crises are not yet as widespread. Heidelberg University is therefore now offering first aid courses for mental health.
Newsletter
If you would like to be informed directly when the registration is activated or new dates are published, please register here for one of our newsletters:
Emergency Cards
Backgrounds
One in four people is affected by mental illness
According to epidemiological studies, around 27% of the adult population in Germany meet the criteria for mental illness every year., meaning a large number of people may know someone in their life who suffer. Althought there are so many people affected in our immidiate environment, prejudice, ignorance and uncertainty are still widespread. Fortunately, there are many who lend a helping hand, but are unsure how best to approach those affected. In the MHFA first aider courese, participants learn to recognize and understand sins of mental disorders and how to respond appropriately.
What is MHFA?
MHFA – Mental Health First Aid – is an international program that was developed in Australia and is now available in 29 countries. In germany, MHFA has been a non- profit organisation run by the Zentralinstitut für Seelischew Gesundheit in Mannheim since 2019. The MHFA first aider cources are designed to enable people to provide first aid for mental helath in their professional and privat environement. As in a traditional first aid course, the course is designed to provide knowledge and skills to assist a person with mental health problems until professional help is available.
Over the course of 12 lessons, the course imparts knowledge about the symptoms and risk factors of various mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and addiction and psychosis in an way that is understanable to amateurs. The aim is to improve understanding of mental health problems and reduce possible stigmatization of mental illness. Specific first aid measures for acut metal health crisis are taught and reinforced throgh practical excercises. Participants learn, for example, helpful conversational techniques and behaviours, but also the limits of their competence and responsibility. The aim is to encourage those affected to seek professional help at an early stage.
MHFA at the university of Heidelberg
The MHFA first aid courses at Heidelberg University are kindly supported by the Dr. Ahlheim / Dr. Vogt Foundation Fund and are aimed at all interested students and employees of Heidelberg University. No prior knowledge is required (For all interested psychology students: Much of the content will be duplicated with their studies!) After successfully completing the course, participants receive a certificate from the Central Institute of Mental Health.
There are already numerous students and employees at Heidelberg University who have completed MHFA training. They form an ever-growing network of people who are sensitized to mental illness, who have learned how to approach those affected and who know how to get professional help. In the future, regular network meetings will also be organized where MHFA first aiders will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and deepen their knowledge.
We will keep you informed about courses etc. here on our website, via our newsletter and on our Instagram channel. If you have any questions, please contact: mhfa-univital@uni-heidelberg.de
Network meeting for students
On 6 December, we organized our first network meeting for already trained first aiders!
Under the guidance of one of our instructors, we exchanged experiences, challenges and difficulties as first aiders and carried out in-depth practical exercises on topics such as conducting conversations and self-care.
Note for employees of Heidelberg University
To ensure that participation in the event can take place during working hours, confirmation from your manager is required by stating their name on the relevant registration form. You can also register without providing your manager's name, in which case your participation in the event will take place outside working hours.
Preventive services
Table
Here you will find an overview of various offers for the prevention of mental health problems. | |
Coaching by students for students Coaching for study-related or personal issues by specially trained students of the Master's degree program in Psychology |