My Review of the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Course by Vratislav Klemera (Young Music Leader on Quench Arts’ Plugin project)

The first time I entered the Zoom call, ready for day 1 of my Youth Mental Health First Aid training, I was instantly brough back to quarantine – which I certainly don’t need to describe in detail here. Suffice it to say, it had been a while since I’d had a Zoom meeting, and I was apprehensive about just how focused I’d be able to remain throughout the duration of the course. The two lead trainers went about the virtual room, breaking the ice, making small talk and generally setting a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the participants, while explaining the aims of the course and making clear that this space was one for asking questions and discussing the information that would be presented.

I had no need to be worried about focus. Firstly, the workshop was structured as mainly group discussions; we all had frequent opportunities to chip in, challenge one another, or share knowledge others might have missed from the material we’d read beforehand. Secondly, in addition to the material – information on mental health conditions in young people, and practical examples based on the ALGEE framework of how to broach the topic with those you might notice are at risk – I was lucky enough to be attending the course with individuals who were all working in the mental health sector in some shape or form, from school counsellors to phoneline workers. Listening to the sheer breadth of accounts from those experienced with working with young people, stories that were sometimes quite difficult to listen to, was useful, if at moments harrowing. As someone with no formal training on mental health conditions in young people, it was incredibly informative putting the facts and ideas in the booklet into the context of people’s lived experiences.

The first day of the training, our primary task was to create a young person. Divided into four groups, we each took a quadrant from the 4-quadrant diagnostic model. The individual my group came up with was Jada, a young person whose knowledge of their non-binary gender identity, and feelings of uncertainty and danger regarding coming out to their family, was causing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and indications of self-harm. Their mental health was poor; however, they had had no formal diagnosis. Jada and the young people other groups came up with, were at various points throughout the two days called upon as imaginary case-studies that were linked with different mental health conditions. I found this particularly engaging as a tool for combining the segmented information in the workbook – some indicators of poor mental health (such as lack of focus or avoidance of social situations) can signify many different conditions, and having models that presented a holistic, complex situation meant we could follow a grounded journey and understand how mental health conditions manifest.

At the end of day 1, after covering depression, anxiety, and OCD, we were set a task – to do something for ourselves, to engage in a piece of self-care or self-investment that evening. I decided to cut up several of my T-shirts, to then sew together a rug/cover for a plank of wood that I use as a second tier of keyboard stand for gigs – I listened to some video essays while doing this, it was very relaxing. As well as something to give our brains a break, this task would be elaborated upon in day 2, which saw the topics of suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and ‘stress containers’.

The heavier of the two days by far, we were warned to take care of ourselves and leave the session temporarily if we needed a break. We read a suicide letter written by a young person who thankfully did not go through with their plan – we were told they were now working as a mental health advocate sharing their story with others. What struck me in the discussion was the extent to which this person’s perception of their reality was informed by an internal solitude – though they had meaningful relationships, their thought patterns had, as we could see in the letter, spiralled inwards such that their feelings regarding every action they undertook were entirely coloured by self-hatred and guilt. It is impossible to tell whether someone is having suicidal thoughts. In addition to keeping vigilant there was a strong focus in day 2 on patience and developing rapport with a young person – conditions such as self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders are often hidden by those suffering from them, and it is often necessary to (if the situation is not yet dire), become a consistent, non-judgemental and reliable presence. Most often these subjects, even when you notice them, won’t be as clear cut as somebody saying “I am suffering from x or y”, they are stigmatised by society and require patience, active listening, and nuance.

One of the most poignant things I learned was how the phrasing of certain statements can contribute to opening or closing the environment of a conversation, and the extent to which our own judgement is necessary situation to situation – there is no clear-cut way of broaching the topic of mental health. While of course we should not absolutely obsess over how we say things above all else, keeping in mind subtleties such as “what’s happening” rather than “what’s wrong” are like little, tiny magic tricks – they of course won’t ‘magically’ make somebody open up, but they are small ways of keeping the vibe of a discussion open and safe, and can indicate that you come from a place of support rather than interrogation. Conversely – and this is something I would never have considered – asking somebody (obviously not out of the blue but within the context of having a gentle chat, checking in) something outright like “are you having suicidal thoughts or feelings”, might just be the catalyst for them to begin sharing such an experience. Similarly, if somebody is having a panic attack, responding calmly, being present, and letting them know “panic attacks normally last 15-20 minutes” can provide something concrete and measurable, counteracting further feelings of catastrophe. Within the ALGEE framework I definitely found reassurance that there is no need to feel scared about chatting with someone about mental health – particularly as the most important thing is to listen.

One of the tasks we did was to role play as a speaker and a listener. This was particularly poignant for me. I played a speaker, relating a fictional situation in which I experienced a panic attack, and experiencing what it means to be effectively listened to was incredibly useful. I observed how my partner, the listener, emphasised positive elements in my actions, repeating what I had said and simply pointing out ways in which I had helped myself in the situation, as well as expressing sympathy, was a really encouraging demonstration of how to listen and give support helpfully.

Finally coming to the idea of stress containers, we shared what we had done the night before to relax and invest in ourselves. We were asked to think about what stresses us out too, and how we might cope with situations where we feel mentally strained. The one thing that remained unclear for me in this course is the idea that while doing certain tasks – going for a walk etc. certainly helps us relieve stress, it is (as everyone agreed) a somewhat patronising thing to suggest, let alone to a young person struggling. I remember in school these talks suggesting doing small things like that to help us in the stress of exams. I suppose it is just the nature of the way life currently is that in the face of unforgiving mental strain, we must additionally strive to “steal time for ourselves”. I suppose it is better to try to relay these ideas in as un-patronising a manner possible, than to not relay them at all. Speaking of which, some of the participants shared various apps that might be of use in assisting mental wellbeing: Kooth, iSleep, Calm, Shiny Mind, Headspace.

The course was absolutely a success in my mind – I would highly recommend engaging with it, particularly if you have not yet had formal training in this field of work. I am more confident in my knowledge and understanding of how mental health conditions actually function in young people in reality, as well as feeling more reassured in how to approach difficult conversations to provide effective support and next steps for those struggling.