We use CPR to save someone if their heart or breathing stops, but it can be harder to know when and how to help a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
On Thursday, Christina Lopes, a nurse practitioner and Certified Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor at CHI Memorial Hospital, will teach an eight-hour “first aid” course on addressing common mental health and substance use problems in adults. Participants will learn the tools to intervene so those in need can get appropriate support and resources before it’s too late.
“One in five people have a mental illness, so we all know somebody, or work with somebody, or live with somebody that has a mental illness,” Lopes said. “Mental health first aid teaches participants to recognize the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, psychotic disorders, substance use disorders and self injury.”
Lopes said anyone can benefit from the class, because mental illnesses are as common as physical illnesses, but symptoms can be difficult to detect. Also, people with a mental illness or substance use disorder are often more hesitant to reach out for help.
“There’s the stigma with mental illnesses that’s not necessarily there with the physical ones,” she said, adding that the class aims to increase awareness and mental health literacy.