Abstract

Background/Objectives: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an internationally recognized training program designed to improve mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and train non-clinicians with supportive skills to assist individuals experiencing psychological distress. Although prior research has demonstrated trainees’ short-term improvements in knowledge and attitudes, less is known about their post-certification perceptions. Here, we assess the likelihood of trainees’ continued application of MHFA concepts several months after certification. The current study examined the participants’ self-reported perceptions of the behavioral and attitudinal outcomes three to six months following training, including, help-seeking behaviors, self-efficacy, stigma-related attitudes, and functional application of intervention skills. Methods: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional design was employed using a structured web-based survey administered to MHFA-trained participants. The survey included demographic items, Likert-scale measures of confidence, behavioral engagement, and stigma-related attitudes, as well as open-ended qualitative prompts. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, assumption diagnostics, and nonparametric hypothesis testing using Mann–Whitney U tests. Qualitative responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns related to long-term training impact. Results: Participants reported increases in self-confidence and behavioral engagement following MHFA training. More than 80% of participants indicated they had recommended professional mental health services to others after certification. Psychometric evaluation demonstrated strong internal consistency for the six-item self-stigma scale (α = 0.90), with a unidimensional factor structure explaining 60.4% of the variance, whereas the public stigma scale showed weaker internal reliability (α = 0.45). Qualitative themes included increased self-awareness, stigma reduction, advocacy behavior, professional empowerment, and institutional validation of mental health priorities. Conclusions: The findings suggest participants perceived continued confidence, reduced internalized stigma, and engagement in supportive mental health behaviors following MHFA training. These findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design, self-reported measures, and highly engaged sample.

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