Why didn’t we notice it sooner? If we had known it had been going on for some time, I would have approached it differently.”
Such statements are often heard from colleagues when it emerges that a team member is struggling mentally. A training programme known as Mental First Aid Agent, which has been successfully implemented for years in Australia and the Netherlands, offers a structured solution in these situations. But what exactly does this training involve?
Mental First Aid Agent
Mental First Aid Agent Training is comparable to traditional first aid courses in the sense that it provides immediate help and support, but it focuses specifically on mental health challenges.
The aim of the Mental First Aid Agent programme is to equip trained individuals (Agents) with the skills to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health issues, to provide initial support and guidance, and, if needed, to direct the person towards appropriate professional help. The training covers a wide range of topics, including recognising signs of low mood, anxiety, stress, and burnout, and taking the first steps in providing help.
A vital element of the course is learning how to assess the severity of a crisis, how to communicate effectively with a distressed colleague, and which techniques support acceptance of help and encourage progress towards recovery.
Mental First Aid Training in Practice
Recognising signs of mental health deterioration
Examples from the Mental First Aid Agent Training manual:
Repeatedly communicating hopelessness about their future
Experiencing uncontrolled anger outbursts, hitting or throwing objects
Spending lunch breaks alone and avoiding team-building events
Eating significantly too little or too much
Showing signs of extreme fatigue
In my experience, during the three-day training, participants found skills introduced through realistic scenarios particularly valuable — including active listening, empathic responses, and the use of open-ended questions.
Alongside these practical techniques, it is equally important to highlight the theoretical foundations: understanding when a situation qualifies as a problem, what can still be considered normal, and when circumstances escalate into a crisis.
Today, both offering and asking for help are becoming increasingly accepted in workplaces. It is widely acknowledged that sudden changes or prolonged periods of uncertainty can severely challenge employees’ mental resilience.
During the training, particular emphasis is placed on enabling agents to recognise the phenomenon of stigma and to promote help-seeking by fostering a climate of trust and acceptance.
Participants also gain insight into the organisational resources that can be mobilised to support individuals in need — for example, individual counselling services, group training programmes, workshops, or e-learning materials.
It is crucial to take the symptoms of mental health deterioration seriously, especially if they persist for several weeks and show a worsening trend. The simultaneous presence of multiple symptoms can also be a serious warning sign.
The organisation’s “Mental First Aid Agent” is therefore not only able to recognise when a colleague is experiencing a difficult life situation, but can proactively initiate the first conversation. They know how to approach a colleague with empathy and acceptance, which creates a climate of trust for taking the first important step. This allows the colleague to feel they are not alone, and to share what is weighing on them. From there, they can receive further support and begin moving toward recovery as quickly as possible. The Agent therefore plays a key role in preventing the development of more serious mental health issues.
Zsófia Logemann-Molnár
