Improving mental health literacy in the General Hospital setting: the role of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)

It is well accepted that poor mental health in women after childbirth leads to adverse outcomes for mothers and their babies. Midwives, without mental health qualifications, often feel out of their depth when interacting with women with mental illness. In an attempt to provide support for women at risk of and /or experiencing postnatal depression, Barwon Health introduced a short evidence-based Mental Health First Aid course for midwifery and paediatric nurses of the Geelong Hospital, Victoria. In this presentation, we will outline the rationale for the introduction of the evidence-based course into the work place curriculum. We will discuss how a successful partnership between Women’s & Children’s Services and the Mental Health Services of a regional health service was formed and led to a number of benefits including improvement in the mental health literacy of nursing and midwifery staff. We believe that this initiative could be applied health services throughout Queensland with similar rewarding outcomes