Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
BMC Psychiatry. 2012 Aug 2;12:98. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-98.
Eating disorders cause significant burden that may be reduced by early and appropriate help-seeking. However, despite the availability of effective treatments, very few individuals with eating disorders seek treatment. Training in mental health first aid is known to be effective in increasing mental health literacy and supportive behaviours, in the social networks of individuals with mental health problems. Increases in these domains are thought to improve the likelihood that effective help is sought. However, the efficacy of mental health first aid for eating disorders has not been evaluated. The aim of this research was to examine whether specific training in mental health first aid for eating disorders was effective in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards people with eating disorders.
A repeated measures, uncontrolled trial was conducted to establish proof of concept and provide guidance on the future design of a randomised controlled trial. Self-report questionnaires, administered at baseline, post-training and 6-month follow-up, assessed the effectiveness of the 4-hour, single session, mental health first aid training.
73 participants completed the training and all questionnaires. The training intervention was associated with statistically significant increases in problem recognition and knowledge of appropriate mental health first aid strategies, which were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Sustained significant changes in attitudes and behaviours were less clear. 20 participants reported providing assistance to someone with a suspected eating disorder, seven of whom sought professional help as a result of the first aid interaction. Results provided no evidence of a negative impact on participants or the individuals they provided assistance to.
This research provides preliminary evidence for the use of training in mental health first aid as a suitable intervention for increasing community knowledge of and support for people with eating disorders to seek appropriate help.
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611001181998.
饮食失调会造成严重负担，而早期和适当的寻求帮助可能会减轻这种负担。然而，尽管有有效的治疗方法，却只有极少数饮食失调患者寻求治疗。心理健康急救培训被认为可以有效提高心理健康素养和支持行为，从而改善有心理健康问题的个体的社交网络。这些领域的增长被认为可以提高寻求有效帮助的可能性。然而，心理健康急救对饮食失调的疗效尚未得到评估。本研究旨在检验专门针对饮食失调的心理健康急救培训是否能有效改变人们对饮食失调患者的知识、态度和行为。
采用重复测量、非对照试验，以证明概念的合理性，并为未来的随机对照试验设计提供指导。在基线、培训后和 6 个月随访时，通过自我报告问卷评估 4 小时、单次会议的心理健康急救培训的效果。
73 名参与者完成了培训并完成了所有问卷。培训干预与问题识别和适当心理健康急救策略知识的统计学显著增加相关，这些增加在 6 个月随访时得以维持。态度和行为的持续显著变化则不太明显。20 名参与者报告向疑似饮食失调者提供了帮助，其中 7 人因急救互动而寻求专业帮助。结果没有证据表明该培训对参与者或他们所帮助的人有负面影响。
本研究为心理健康急救培训作为一种增加社区对饮食失调患者的认识和支持、以寻求适当帮助的合适干预措施提供了初步证据。
澳大利亚新西兰临床试验注册中心 ACTRN12611001181998。
