A course on mental health first aid in secondary schools

"We address the challenge of mental health in the community but above all the community must be sufficiently informed and trained to help people with this challenge". An important message passed by Dr. Lydia Abela in a discussion with ninth year students at the Żejtun high school within the San Tumas More College, after these students successfully completed a course on first aid for mental health.

This course under the heading 'SPEAK', which will continue to raise awareness about mental health, has started to be given to ninth year students in all schools. The course is a result of donations in the 'Smiles with Miles' initiative led by Dr Lydia Abela and funding from the Bank of Valletta. A course that, with the cooperation of the Richmond Foundation, is helping students better understand the first type of help that is given in case they encounter situations of people with mental health challenges. The wife of the Prime Minister worked closely with the mentioned foundation and with the Commissioner for Mental Health Dennis Vella Baldacchino where she then designed the course that trains the students on many skills, including how to identify certain signs of health challenges mental. The course spread over 25 hours is also offered to the educators of the same students. This also emphasizes the need for sensitivity and the need for empathy. So far, around five thousand students and three hundred and thirty educators have taken the course.

Dr. Abela claimed that this initiative is a tangible example of how mental health is no longer a taboo but is on the discussion agenda in our lives and we address it. "Our students and young people are the best example with the fact that we can turn on important skills to be a shoulder for those who are going through a mental health challenge", she claimed Lydia Abela and she also stresses that society it must be one that gives every person a chance to get back on their feet and live better. The Prime Minister's wife added that with this initiative awareness and prevention will grow, two important principles.

Also present at the school was the Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima and the Minister for Health and Active Aging Jo Etienne Abela. Minister Grima said that the educational aspect is always an important tool to increase knowledge. He said that our schools through this course are showing with facts how the broad sense of education is useful for life. For his part, Minister Abela not only praised this initiative that goes hand in hand with the Government's vision on the subject but claimed that such an initiative shows how much mental health does not only involve treatment and medicines.