News and Media
Read about the latest news, research and updates from Mental Health First Aid® Australia.
MHFAI welcomes COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report findings calling for urgent investment in youth mental health
Mental Health First Aid International welcomes the Australian Government's response to its COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report, including an urgent commitment to tackle the pandemic’s continuing impact on youth mental health. The first recommendation published in the...
Veteran community to benefit from free mental health and suicide prevention training
Veterans and their families have access to free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training, thanks to an Australian Government-funded initiative launched today by leading health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid Australia. Announcing the...
More than 100,000 health professional students to be trained in Mental Health First Aid
A landmark initiative aimed at equipping Australia’s future health workforce with the skills to recognise, understand and respond to mental distress was launched this week, backed by $6.7 million in funding from the Australian Government. Assistant Minister for...
Shining a light on mental health reform at TheMHS Conference this week
Mental Health First Aid International (MHFAI) is in Canberra this week to spotlight the need for mental health reform as part of its participation in the 34th Annual Mental Health Services (TheMHS) Conference.
Mental Health Report Card highlights urgent action required
Last week the National Mental Health Commission published the National Mental Health Report Card 2023 monitoring the performance of Australia’s mental health systems. Angus Clelland, CEO of leading Australian mental health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid...
National Reconciliation Week 2024 – Now more than ever
This year’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) theme, “Now more than ever”, is a reminder to us all that, no matter what, we must persevere in our fight for the justice and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the benefit of all...
Federal budget a promising start, but more is needed for whole-of-sector mental health reform
Mental Health First Aid International welcomes the Albanese Government’s 2024–25 Federal Budget which will invest $361 million over the next four years to expand the range of free mental health services for Australians. Angus Clelland, CEO of Mental Health First...
Dr Claire Kelly honoured with Suicide Prevention Australia’s 2024 National LiFE Award for Outstanding Contribution
Congratulations to Dr Claire Kelly and Dr Laura Hart who have received Suicide Prevention Australia’s 2024 National LiFE Award for Outstanding Contribution. This award recognises their significant contribution to the development of the Teen Mental Health First...
Mental Health First Aid Australia calls for a collective approach in considering evaluation
The impacts of a mental health first aid conversation are deeply personal and challenging to measure quantitatively, making accurate evaluation complex, according to Mental Health First Aid® Australia’s Director of International Program, Dr Claire Kelly. The...
Prioritising mental health in the lead up to the referendum
As Australia prepares to vote in the Voice to Parliament referendum on 14 October, Mental Health First Aid® Australia recognises that this may be a difficult time for many Australians. In the leadup to the Voice referendum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...
Where can Mental Health First Aid help?
As we continue to face an ongoing global mental health crisis, the mental health sector must respond with a multi-faceted, collaborative approach that embraces both clinical and informal community supports. Mental Health First Aid training serves as a bridge to...
Mental Health First Aid Australia appoints leading mental health advocate as new CEO
Mental Health First Aid® Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of leading mental health advocate Angus (Gus) Clelland as its incoming CEO. The Chair of Mental Health First Aid Australia Krystian Seibert expressed his enthusiasm for Mr Clelland taking...
The impacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grief, loss and intergenerational trauma
Mental Health First Aid Australia is committed to improving the mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, and to equipping individuals and communities with the skills to provide culturally informed care to those...
National Reconciliation Week 2023
Mental Health First Aid Australia recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians. Our formal reconciliation journey began in 2022, as we started to change our ways of working and move towards building a stronger and more unified...
The need for mental health literacy for supporting children
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are proposing the introduction of a new field of research and intervention on mental health literacy for supporting children. Since Mental Health First Aid Australia®’s co-founder Tony Jorm first coined the term back in...
City of Maroondah receives “Champion Community” status for mental health focus
Mental Health First Aid® Australia has recognised the City of Maroondah as a “Champion Community” for its commitment to improving the mental health and well-being of its population. This recognition is awarded to communities across Australia for developing...
Helping the fishing industry stay afloat amidst mental health crisis
A survey of the Australia’s commercial fishing industry has revealed it is in the midst of a mental health crisis, with fishers experiencing mental health problems at double the rate of the average population. The survey, conducted by Deakin University and the...
Statement from the Chair of Mental Health First Aid Australia, Krystian Seibert
The CEO of Mental Health First Aid Australia®, Shannon Anderson, has informed the Board of her intention to step down from the role. Since taking on the role in 2019, Shannon has led our organisation through a period of major transformation and growth. Much of this...
Course on Conversations about Non-Suicidal Self-Injury found safe, acceptable and effective
A course that teaches participants how to have conversations about non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been found to be safe, acceptable and effective. In a recently published paper, researchers from Mental Health First Aid® Australia and the University of...
National Reconciliation Week 2022
Mental Health First Aid Australia recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians. Our formal organisational commencement of a journey towards reconciliation in 2022 signifies the important first step of accountability to all First...
21 years of Mental Health First Aid
Looking back at 21 years of MHFA This month, we celebrate our 21st anniversary; 21 years since the very first MHFA training course was delivered. This significant milestone provides an opportunity for all of us at MHFA to pause, and reflect on the growth and impact...
