Personal Stress Resistance in Mental Health First Aid Training

Stress resistance is important for effective communication with a first-aid recipient in a state of acute emotional suffering. The authors used survey, standardized observation, and tragic situation simulations to study the effect of stress resistance on the efficiency of psychological counselling and courses of mental health first aid. The research involved 40 psychologists and psychology students. The article describes algorithms of mental health first aid published in manuals of international and domestic charity institutions. Personal competencies and stress resistance determine the outcome of training. In addition, professional community needs training patterns for non-psychologists. In this research, most trainees appealed to algorithms and speech modules for competent communication. However, their theoretical base did not prepare them for coping with their own stress during mental health first aid. Courses of first psychological support should involve technologies that contribute to the development of stress resistance in the trainees and the training personnel.

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